The Berlin Redcoats will head out on the road to face off against the Southington Blue Knights at 6:45 p.m. on Monday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Connecticut (Berlin is ranked 32nd, while Southington is ranked 39th).
Last Friday, Berlin was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 41-37 to Windsor. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Berlin in their matchups with Windsor: they've now lost three in a row.
Berlin's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Emma Ellison, who scored eight points along with 11 rebounds and six blocks, and Brooke Walker who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds. Walker hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for three straight games.
Meanwhile, Southington entered their tilt with Hall with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Southington put the hurt on Hall with a sharp 55-29 victory last Thursday. Southington has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 22 points or more this season.
Southington relied on the efforts of Lily Cooper, who scored 13 points along with six assists and six rebounds, and Bethany Borges, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 13 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Borges has scored all season. Katie Doherty was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with three steals.
Berlin's defeat dropped their record down to 8-4. As for Southington, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Berlin have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 37.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Southington, though, as they've been averaging only 31.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Berlin strolled past Southington in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 by a score of 55-40. The rematch might be a little tougher for Berlin since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
