The Cobden Appleknockers will head out to take on the Pope County Pirates at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cobden got their first taste of in-conference action this week and they started things off strong. They came out on top against Joppa-Maple Grove by a score of 43-36 on Monday.
| 02/03/25 @ Joppa-Maple Grove | 22 |
| 01/24/25 vs Joppa-Maple Grove | 26 |
| 01/23/25 vs Northside Baptist Christian | 31 |
It was another big night for Natalie Franklin, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 16 boards. Her evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Abby Pitts, who posted 12 points and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Pope County over Galatia/Thompsonville in every quarter on their way to victory on Monday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Pope County blew Galatia/Thompsonville out of the water with a 56-27 final score. Pope County's victory was all the more impressive since the Bearcats were averaging only 25.31 points allowed on the season.
Pope County's win came from a few key players Cobden will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bella Fasolo, who went 7 of 13 on her way to 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kenna Welter, who went 7 for 12 en route to 14 points and six boards.
Pope County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 21 consecutive matches.
Pope County has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. As for Cobden, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-13.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cobden has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 31.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Pope County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 41.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cobden came up short against Pope County in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 37-30. Can Cobden avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
