Hempstead and Van Vleck are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2015, but not for long. The Hempstead Bobcats will head out on the road to face off against the Van Vleck Leopards at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hempstead scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Harmony School of Discovery 92-44 at home. The victory was a breath of fresh air for Hempstead as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Hempstead's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jamari Idlebird, who scored 19 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Idlebird has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of JaMarion Mickles, who scored 19 points.
Meanwhile, Van Vleck had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.3 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Tuesday. They came out on top against Danbury by a score of 43-31. Given Van Vleck's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 723rd, while Danbury is ranked 1610th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Van Vleck's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Peyton Huerta, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Corey Austin, who scored 12 points along with nine rebounds and seven steals. Austin is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last ten games he's played. Hector Mares was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Hempstead now has a winning record of 14-13. As for Van Vleck, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hempstead have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Van Vleck struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hempstead came up short against Van Vleck when the teams last played on January 2nd, falling 62-49. Can Hempstead avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
