The Reno Huskies will head out on the road to square off against the Bishop Manogue Miners at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Reno has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while the Miners will arrive with 18 straight victories.
Last Tuesday, Reno suffered a tough 65-41 defeat at the hands of the Mustangs.
The losing side was boosted by Kindle Rowe, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 11 rebounds. She hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for seven straight games. Blake Wallace was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Meanwhile, Bishop Manogue faced the Cougars in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Bishop Manogue took down the Cougars 69-54 on Tuesday. Winning is a bit easier when you make eight more threes than your opponent, as Bishop Manogue did.
Bishop Manogue's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Fa'anaetaua Puloka led the charge by scoring 21 points along with six assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Puloka has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Milasarai Tau, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Reno dropped their record down to 9-13 with that loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Bishop Manogue, their victory bumped their record up to 19-1.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Reno have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bishop Manogue struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Reno was taken down by the Miners 63-31 in their previous matchup back in January. Can Reno avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
