The Manley Wildcats and the Wells Raiders will compete for holiday cheer at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Manley sitting on five straight victories and Wells on four.
It was a proper cat-fight when Manley duked it out withAustin College and Career Academy on Monday. The stars were shining brightly for Manley in a 50-32 win over Austin College and Career Academy. While the Wildcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-9), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
It was another big night for Jaklaya Hunter, who went 17 for 28 on her way to 41 points and six steals. That makes it eight consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Manley's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Tamya Friend, who posted four points in addition to six rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Wells' strategy against Foreman on Wednesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Wells blew Foreman out of the water with a 57-6 final score. With the Raiders ahead 33-5 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Manley better keep an eye on Ashanti Clark. She was instrumental in Wells' win, dropping a triple-double on 35 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 steals. Clark is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabrielle Marshall, who almost dropped a triple-double on ten points, nine boards, and nine steals.
Wells smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.
Wells' victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 48.7 points. As for Manley, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Manley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Wells struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Manley skirted past Wells 30-27 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Will Manley repeat their success, or does Wells have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
