Mathis is 0-4 against West Oso since November of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Mathis Pirates will host the West Oso Bears at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Mathis turned things around against Odem on Friday. They walked away with a 38-25 win over the Owls.
Mathis found their leader in sophomore Amerie Smith, who posted 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Herrera, who had ten points and three steals.
Mathis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, West Oso waltzed into their game on Friday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They were the clear victor by a 51-26 margin over the Pirates. The Bears have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 16 contests by 21 points or more this season.
West Oso had a senior duo take command as Jae'La Hicks dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten boards and Malaigha Sweats went 7 for 8 on her way to 14 points and three steals. SweatS has been hot, having posted three or more steals the last six times she's played.
West Oso has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 23-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 22.0 points per game. As for Mathis, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mathis has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Oso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mathis was dealt a bruising 86-9 defeat at the hands of West Oso in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Mathis was down 49-2.
