The Norfolk Catholic Knights will challenge the Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
Norfolk Catholic came up into this matchup off a tough 26-point defeat on Thursday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Ponca by a score of 49-46 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Knights have suffered since December 12, 2024.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Sidonia Wattier, who dropped a double-double with 17 points and ten boards. Ava Wemhoff was another key player, putting up 12 points.
Even though they lost, Norfolk Catholic was working as a unit and finished the game with ten assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]). They were the clear victor by a 62-41 margin over Lutheran-Northeast on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won four in a row.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s win came from a few key players Norfolk Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jenna Funk, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 18 rebounds. She also grabbed five steals, which is notable because Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] is 4-1 when she posts at least three steals, but 5-12 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Lydia Robertson, who dropped a double-double with 19 points and 12 boards.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s victory bumped their record up to 9-13. As for Norfolk Catholic, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 6-16 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Norfolk Catholic has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Norfolk Catholic strolled past Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] in their previous matchup back in December of 2024 by a score of 52-36. Does Norfolk Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
