Basketball Game Preview: Wheeler Bearcats vs. Whiting Oilers

The Wheeler Bearcats will take on the Whiting Oilers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Wheeler will be strutting in after a win while Whiting will be coming in after a defeat.

Wheeler took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 50-42 victory over Hobart.

Wheeler found their leader in freshman Kylie Simpson, who went 5 of 12 on her way to 17 points along with six boards and three steals. That's the most points Simpson has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Brooklynne Jolliff, who posted nine points and five blocks.

Meanwhile, Whiting was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They lost to Hammond Bishop Noll on the road by a 62-46 margin. The Oilers were down 57-30 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Whiting's defeat dropped their record down to 3-14. As for Wheeler, they pushed their record up to 7-15 with the win, which was their third straight at home.

Wheeler was able to grind out a solid victory over Whiting when the teams last played two weeks ago, winning 40-32. The rematch might be a little tougher for Wheeler since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.