If the Fife Trojans (4-3 league, 8-5 overall) are going to boost themselves back to SPSL 2A relevance, the Jan. 21 against the Franklin Pierce Cardinals (5-2, 6-7) would be a great starting point. The Trojans are currently tied for fourth place with the Eatonville Cruisers (4-3, 9-4), but Eatonville holds the upper hand, having defeated the Cardinals 60-55 on Jan. 4. Despite their 66-52 loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 14, the Trojans displayed adeptness in defending against the Cardinals run-and-gun offense. Senior guard Kevin McCrossin took advantage of the slacking perimeter defense, going 5-of-13 from ark and ending the game with 17 points. In this last league meeting, the Trojans will need to maintain offensive discipline and defensive court awareness.
Trojans Game Stats vs. Cardinals (Dec. 14 recap)
- 19-of-46 field; 7-of-20 3-point field goals; 6-of-8 from the charity stripe
- 22 rebounds
- 17 turnovers
Cardinals Game Stats vs. Trojans (Dec. 14 recap)
- 24-of-45 field; 9-of-15 3-point field goals; 5-of-9 from the charity stripe
- 27 rebounds
- 12 turnovers
Trojans Stats (league play)
- The Trojans average 46.1 points per game, exhibiting defensive prowess in holding their opponents to 42.2 points per court outing.
- Leading scorers for the Trojans in league play are junior Bryce Miller (16.2 points per game) and senior Jack Murrey (12.6 points per game).
Franklin Pierce (59) vs. Washington (46)
The Cardinals come into the Jan. 21 game after shaking off the Washington Patriots (0-7, 2-10). In that Jan. 18 matchup, the Cardinals were led by senior forward Tre Benton, who punished the Patriots with a solid shooting performance, ending the night with a personal season-high of 22 points per game.
Cardinals Stats (league play)
- The Cardinals average 47.4 points per outing, allowing their opponents to rack up an average 44.4 points per game on the scoreboard.
- Leading scorer for the Cardinals is senior forward Tre Benton, with 12.5 points per game.
In spite of their home court advantage, the Trojans are the underdog in this matchup, statistically speaking. Blog Talk Sports Radio (7-0) predicts that the Trojans may come up short 55-45.
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