Basketball Game Preview: Whiting Oilers vs. Highland Trojans

Whiting hasn't had much luck against Highland recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. Having just played yesterday, the Oilers will get right back to it and host the Trojans at 7:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, Whiting came up short against River Forest and fell 42-32.

Despite their defeat, Whiting saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Alexis Garro, who posted 11 points and five assists, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Alexis Perez, who went 5-for-8 to rack up 10 points.

Meanwhile, Highland had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 55-27 win over the Vikings.

Whiting better keep an eye on Jordan Steele. She was instrumental in Highland's win, shooting 47% from the field on her way to 30 points in addition to seven steals and five rebounds. The game was Steele's 18th in a row with at least 16 points. Avery Steele was another key player, putting up six points along with seven boards and four steals.

Whiting's loss dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Highland, they picked up their first home victory, bumping their record up to 5-3.

Whiting might still be hurting after the 52-32 defeat they got from Highland when the teams last played back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Steele, who went 8-for-17 en route to 23 points and seven steals. Now that the Oilers know the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.