Basketball Game Preview: Wayne Badgers vs. Whitehorse Raiders

The Wayne Badgers and the Whitehorse Raiders will face off at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday without much rest, having both just played. Wayne is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.8 points per game this season.

Wayne is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Bryce Valley with a sharp 58-34 victory. The Badgers haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

AJ VanDyke

Rebounds

02/26/25 vs Bryce Valley	12
02/15/25 @ Panguitch	8
02/14/25 @ Milford	8

Wayne found their leader in sophomore AJ VanDyke, who dropped a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds. VanDyke is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last three games she's played. Raegyn Blackburn was another key player, putting up 12 points and five rebounds.

Wayne smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Whitehorse came tearing into Wednesday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.7 points), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 50-42.

Whitehorse's victory bumped their record up to 16-4. As for Wayne, their win bumped their record up to 16-5.

Wayne strolled past Whitehorse in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a score of 57-41. Will Wayne repeat their success, or does Whitehorse have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.