North Royalton is on a five-game streak of home losses, the Patriots a five-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck is about to change. The North Royalton Bears will take on the Valley Forge Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Last Saturday, North Royalton was the victim of a tough 47-24 defeat at the hands of the Grizzlies. North Royalton has struggled against the Grizzlies recently, as their contest on Saturday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the defeat, North Royalton saw an underclassman step up: Madie Colella scored ten points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Colella has scored all season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, North Royalton struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They are 1-6 when they just don't pass the ball.
Meanwhile, Valley Forge suffered a tough 49-29 loss at the hands of the Rockets on Wednesday.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Taylor Patrick, who scored eight points along with two blocks. It was the first time this season that she posted two or more blocks. Another player making a difference was Mikayla Hoang, who scored six points along with five rebounds and two steals.
North Royalton's loss dropped their record down to 3-16. As for Valley Forge, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost 11 of their last 12 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-15 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: North Royalton have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Valley Forge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
