The Washington Demons, after a midweek break, get back to work Friday night as the boys and girls host the Fort Madison Bloodhounds for a doubleheader.
Earlier this season, both the Washington boys and girls picked up a win over the Bloodhounds on the road, but they’ll now try to defend their home floor. The Washington girls are 10-8 on the season, and 2-3 in their last five, but all three of those losses are to non-conference opponents, while both wins were picked up against Southeast Conference rivals. Washington struggled on offense in its most recent loss Monday to Mid-Prairie, shooting only 31% from the field and 20% from outside the three-point line.
Despite the struggles against the Golden Hawks, Adalyn Long and Reagan Miller each reached 10 points a piece. The two continue to be the primary scorers for the Demon offense.
Fort Madison’s girls are 11-6, and sit second in the SEC with a 6-2 conference record. The Bloodhounds have lost two in a row, both non-conference games against still-undefeated Mediapolis and fellow 4A opponent Pella. Fort Madison averages 49.2 points per game, but like Washington, tend to not allow very much, giving up just 43.1 a night. The Bloodhounds are a senior-led team, with Dayonna Davis and Hadley Wolfe providing just under 30 points a game between the two of them. Davis and another senior, Hallie Menke, are the leading rebounders for the squad.
Washington and Fort Madison met earlier this season, with Washington winning 50-44. Long and Miller combined for 33 points, with Messinger also adding an important 8. Davis and Wolfe had solid outings for Fort Madison, with the pair going for 28 points.
On the boys side, Washington will face a presumed-to-be healthier Fort Madison squad. The Demons are also 2-3 in their last five, with losses to Mid-Prairie and Mount Pleasant. Washington had a rare second half slip on Monday, giving up a massive run, and a 25-16 third quarter to the Golden Hawks en route to the loss. However, Washington still sits at 10-7, and are a quality team that scores more than they allow. If allowed, the trio of Drew Conrad, Nic Stone and Rajan Roth have proven more than capable of blowing by defenders and scoring inside the paint. Kael Williams has also seen his numbers rise as of late, as he also approaches a double-digit average for the season.
Fort Madison, as mentioned earlier, will be healthier than they were for the meeting at their home floor. Notably, 6’10” post Darius Foy. The junior, after being injured for much of the early season, played his first game back against Washington, but played limited minutes. While Foy’s return hasn’t necessarily translated into wins, with Fort Madison entering the game at 2-15 and 1-7 in the SEC, he’s still been a welcome compliment to leading scorer Nolan Guzman. The senior averages 18.6 points per game, and is one of the leading scorers in the conference.
The first meeting between the Demons and Bloodhounds saw Washington claim a 86-65 victory, to this day, a season high scoring total for Washington. Roth picked up a double-double for the Demons, dropping 25 points and 10 rebounds. Stone and Conrad each had 17 points to add to the effort. Guzman, Foy, and freshman Jonah Tackett all had double-digit points for Fort Madison.
Tonight’s doubleheader can be heard on FM106.1, the KCII1 app, and kciiradio.com. The Washington Demon Pregame Show begins at 5:30, with the tip-off of the girls’ game at 6.