After both having extra time off, the Apex Cougars and the Overhills Jaguars will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 2:00 p.m. on December 27th. Apex is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
Last Friday, Apex came up short against Cary and fell 61-53. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Apex in their matchups with Cary: they've now lost three in a row.
The losing side was boosted by Zaelyn White, who scored 21 points along with nine rebounds and six assists. White is absolutely dominating the steal category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Vaibhav Dandala was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Even though they lost, Apex were working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Overhills was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on December 8th as they fell 49-43 to E.E. Smith. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Overhills has scored all season.
Overhills' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Ej Stokes, who scored ten points along with five rebounds and four steals, and Deshaun Barton who scored 11 points along with three steals. Those five rebounds set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Joel Lalin, who scored two points along with five assists and five steals.
Apex now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Overhills, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season.
Wednesday's game is shaping up to be a blowout: Apex hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 50.6 points per game. It's a different story for Overhills, though, as they've been averaging only 51.8 points per game. The only thing between Apex and another offensive beatdown is Overhills. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Apex was able to grind out a solid victory over Overhills in their previous matchup back in December of 2021, winning 75-68. Will Apex repeat their success, or does Overhills have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
