Apollo hasn't had much luck against Daviess County recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will be playing at home against the Panthers at 5:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Apollo lost to Hart County on the road by a 47-28 margin.
Despite their defeat, Apollo saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Mattingly Taylor, who shot 56% from the field en route to 10 points and seven boards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Emersyn Bullington, who posted seven points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Daviess County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 68-46 margin over Greenwood on Tuesday. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 20 points or more this season.
Daviess County's win came from a few key players that Apollo will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kennedy Lane, who went 11-for-21 on her way to 27 points and four steals. The game was her 17th in a row with at least 15 points. Riley Hayden was another key player, shooting 5-for-7 from long range and almost dropping a double-double with 22 points and nine boards.
Daviess County was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They are 16-1 when they've passed the ball that well.
Daviess County is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 14 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.3 points over those games. As for Apollo, their loss dropped their record down to 3-17.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Apollo has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Daviess County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Apollo was taken down by Daviess County 72-27 when the teams last played back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Lane, who shot 67% from the field to rack up 31 points. Now that the Eagles know the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.