Preview: Whitko Wildcats vs. Northfield Norsemen
The Whitko Wildcats will head out on the road to challenge the Northfield Norsemen at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Whitko will be strutting in after a victory while Northfield will be coming in after a defeat.
Whitko posted their biggest win yet this season last Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 45-20 margin over Lakewood Park Christian. Whitko has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 25 points or more this season.
Whitko's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kyler Krull led the charge by scoring 15 points along with two steals. Krull has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last seven times he's played. Logan Hoffman was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Northfield pushed their score all the way to 57 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of North Miami by a score of 59-57. Northfield's loss continues an unfortunate trend for the team, making it three in a row.
Despite the defeat, Northfield saw an underclassman step up: Ty Leming dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Another player making a difference was carter rodgers, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Northfield smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Whitko's win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Northfield, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-10 record this season.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Whitko hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 53.1 points per game. It's a different story for Northfield, though, as they've been averaging only 37.8 points per game. The only thing between Whitko and another offensive beatdown is Northfield. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Whitko might still be hurting after the 59-37 loss they got from Northfield when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Can Whitko avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
