Basketball Game Preview: North Vermillion Falcons vs. Salt Fork Storm

The North Vermillion Falcons and the Salt Fork Storm will round out the year against one another at at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

North Vermillion is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Georgetown-Ridge Farm: they outscored them in every quarter. North Vermillion was the clear victor by a 57-33 margin over Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Saturday. The Falcons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three contests by 24 points or more this season.

North Vermillion's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Nora Thomann led the charge by dropping a double-double on 12 points and 14 rebounds. Thomann is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Cadence Dunham was another key player, putting up ten points along with eight assists and three steals.

North Vermillion was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Salt Fork put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past Tuscola with points to spare, taking the game 56-42. Given the Storm's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while the Warriors are ranked 390th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Salt Fork pushed their record up to 12-0 with the win, which was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 30.1 points. As for North Vermillion, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-4.

North Vermillion ended up a good deal behind Salt Fork in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 54-35. Can North Vermillion avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.