Two dominant centers in Addison Crandall and Kealah Faumuina are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hurricane Tigers will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Dixie Flyers at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Thursday, Hurricane didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Pine View, but they still walked away with a 49-43 win.
Hurricane's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Crandall led the charge by scoring 12 points along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Another player making a difference was Whitnie Esplin, who scored 11 points along with five assists.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Dixie had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They blew past the Miners 53-16 at home. That looming 53-16 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Dixie yet this season.
Faumuina continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 27 points and 12 rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last five times she's played. Jaycee Bundy was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Hurricane's victory bumped their record up to 13-10. As for Dixie, the victory got them back to even at 12-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hurricane have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Dixie struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hurricane came out on top in a nail-biter against Dixie in their previous matchup back in January, sneaking past 37-34. Will Hurricane repeat their success, or does Dixie have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
