Preview: Fort Wayne Snider Panthers vs. Fort Wayne North Side Legends
Fort Wayne Snider is 10-0 against Fort Wayne North Side since February of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Fort Wayne Snider Panthers will be staying on the road to face off against the Fort Wayne North Side Legends at 6:00 p.m. on December 15th. One thing working in Fort Wayne Snider's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last four matchups.
Fort Wayne Snider has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 20 points or more this season. They were the clear victor by a 70-45 margin over Carmel. Given Fort Wayne Snider's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked seventh, while Carmel is ranked 59th), the result on Saturday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jordyn Poole was her usual excellent self, scoring 17 points along with five assists and five rebounds. She also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Another player making a difference was Tia Phinezy, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, Fort Wayne North Side's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough 51-25 walloping at the hands of Leo. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Fort Wayne North Side has scored all season.
Despite their defeat, Fort Wayne North Side saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ja'liyah Paige, who scored five points along with ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrey Bleeke, who scored 13 points along with three steals.
Fort Wayne North Side struggled to work together and finished the game with only an assist. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Fort Wayne Snider's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-1. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 29.67 points. As for Fort Wayne North Side, their loss dropped their record down to 1-11.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Fort Wayne Snider have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Fort Wayne North Side, though, as they've been averaging only 26 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Fort Wayne Snider against Fort Wayne North Side in their previous matchup back in December of 2022 as the squad secured a 62-29 win. With Fort Wayne Snider ahead 45-12 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
