Simeon is 7-2 against Phillips since January of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Simeon Wolverines just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Phillips Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Simeon came out on top against IC Catholic Prep by a score of 59-45 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
| 01/28/25 @ IC Catholic Prep | 24 |
| 11/18/24 vs Brooks | 21 |
| 01/24/25 @ Westinghouse | 20 |
| 01/08/25 vs Perspectives Leadership/Technology | 16 |
| 01/19/25 vs East St. Louis | 16 |
Dijiona Berrien was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 15 boards. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Janiya Pillow, who went 7 of 17 en route to 16 points and six steals.
Simeon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Phillips was able to grind out a solid victory over Lake Forest Academy on Saturday, taking the game 51-39. The Wildcats pushed the score to 45-25 by the end of the third, a deficit the Caxys cut but never quite recovered from.
Phillips' win came from a few key players Simeon will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nila Willis, who made all 7 shots she took racking up 14 points. Another player making a difference was Dajia Cohen, who went 5 for 7 on her way to 13 points.
Phillips has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 17-8 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.9 points per game. As for Simeon, their win bumped their record up to 11-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Simeon has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Phillips struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Simeon came up short against Phillips when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 46-36. Can Simeon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
