The Walker Wildcats will challenge the Mandeville Skippers at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Walker didn't have too much trouble with Dutchtown as they won 66-47. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked second, while the Griffins are ranked 100th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Arionna Patterson, who went 13-for-21 on her way to 31 points in addition to six boards and six steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Walker's points. Another player making a difference was La'Shantae Clay, who posted five points along with ten assists and four steals.
Meanwhile, Mandeville had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They took down Terrebonne 67-51 on Thursday.
Walker better keep an eye on Alanna Benoit. She was instrumental in Mandeville's win, almost dropping a triple-double with 26 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. Benoit has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Giulia Balbo was another key player, going 8-for-11 en route to 18 points.
Mandeville was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Terrebonne only five assists.
Mandeville is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 14 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.1 points over those games. Walker's victory bumped their record up to 30-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Walker has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Mandeville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Walker didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Mandeville in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 57-53 win. Will Walker repeat their success, or does Mandeville have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
