The Mathis Pirates will be playing at home against the George West Longhorns at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Mathis focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 23 on Tuesday.
Even though Mathis has not done well against the Owls recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way. Mathis walked away with a 42-34 victory over the Owls.
Arik Cuellar was a one-man wrecking crew for Mathis as he dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashton Quesada, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, George West's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their seventh straight defeat. They lost to Taft at home by a decisive 86-68 margin. George West has not had much luck with the Greyhounds recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite their loss, George West saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tristen Blevins, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten assists, was perhaps the best of all. It was the first time this season that Blevins posted eight or more assists. William Balew was another key contributor, scoring 16 points.
Mathis now has a winning record of 14-13. As for George West, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-15 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Mathis have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like George West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mathis was able to grind out a solid win over the Longhorns in their previous meeting back in January, winning 70-61. Does Mathis have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Longhorns turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
