Basketball Game Preview: Liberty Lightning vs. Hempstead Mustangs

Liberty is 1-7 against Hempstead since February of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Liberty Lightning just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Hempstead Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Liberty is headed into Tuesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game dating back to last season on Monday. They were five points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 64-59 heartbreaker at the hands of Ankeny Centennial.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Brady Randall, who shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten boards. Those ten rebounds gave him a new career-high. Maddoc Coapstick was another key player, putting up 15 points.

Even though they lost, Liberty smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Hempstead was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their ninth straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Dubuque Senior, falling 89-63. One positive for the Mustangs, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.

Hempstead's defeat dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Liberty, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 0-4.

Liberty strolled past Hempstead in their previous meeting back in February by a score of 66-47. The rematch might be a little tougher for Liberty since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.