A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Arundel Wildcats challenge the Chesapeake Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday... Arundel is looking for their season's first victory.
Arundel is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came up short against Severn Run on Friday, falling 54-34. While the Wildcats didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating Severn Run 14-4 in the first quarter.
The losing side was boosted by Nina Hollingsworth, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Imani Monroe, who posted five points.
Even though they lost, Arundel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive matches.
Chesapeake has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They lost 58-38 to Annapolis on Friday.
Arundel will have to keep a close watch on Kiery Matkins and Allison Schaefer, a pair of players who had a big impact on Chesapeake's prior game. Matkins earned 15 points and seven boards, while Schaefer put up six points and five rebounds. Matkins is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Ella Cieri was another key player, putting up 13 points.
Chesapeake's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 10-2. As for Arundel, their loss dropped their record down to 0-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Arundel has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Chesapeake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Arundel was dealt a bruising 69-31 defeat at the hands of Chesapeake when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Will Arundel have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
