Basketball Game Preview: Westwood Redhawks vs. Ridge View Blazers

Westwood has gone 8-2 against Ridge View recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Westwood Redhawks are taking a road trip to face off against the Ridge View Blazers at 6:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Friday, Westwood came up short against Blythewood and fell 61-50. While losing is never fun, the Redhawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 87th, while the Bengals are ranked third).

Despite the defeat, Westwood saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Aneya Britt went 7 for 11 on her way to 16 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. Britt's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Amari Alexander, who posted 11 points.

Meanwhile, Ridge View was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Monday as they fell 56-52 to Alcoa.

Westwood will have to contain Anasia Harvey as she made an impact in Ridge View's last game. She dropped a double-double on 30 points and 15 rebounds. That's the most boards Harvey has posted since back in November of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Simone Johnson, who put up seven points.

Ridge View has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season. As for Westwood, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 6-9.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Westwood has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Ridge View struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Westwood came up short against Ridge View in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 49-39. Can Westwood avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.