Basketball Game Preview: Whitney Wildcats vs. St. Francis Troubadours

The Whitney Wildcats will face off against the St. Francis Troubadours at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Wednesday, Whitney earned a 43-31 victory over Del Oro. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wildcats.

Whitney got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Natalia Benavidez out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine boards. The dominant performance gave Benavidez a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Tylie Kitchen, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 boards.

Whitney smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in eight consecutive games.

Meanwhile, St. Francis can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They snuck past Granite Bay with a 50-45 victory.

St. Francis found their leader in sophomore Tayli Paeu-Lindgren, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 13 boards. Paeu-Lindgren is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last three games she's played. Lexi London was another key player, putting up 11 points and six rebounds.

St. Francis' win bumped their record up to 7-8. As for Whitney, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Whitney has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like St. Francis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Whitney beat St. Francis 45-36 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Does Whitney have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Francis turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.