Basketball Game Preview: Norton Panthers vs. Streetsboro Rockets

The Norton Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Streetsboro Rockets at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.

Last Saturday, Norton lost to Jackson at home by a 58-42 margin. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 219th, while the Polar Bears are ranked 31st).

Meanwhile, Streetsboro entered their tilt with Canfield on Saturday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They walked away with a 38-30 victory over the Cardinals. The 38-point effort marked the Rockets' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Norton better keep an eye on Naomi Benson. She was instrumental in Streetsboro's win, dropping a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds. Benson's afternoon made it five games in a row in which she has scored at least 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Bodovetz, who posted six points and five boards.

Streetsboro smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 22 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Streetsboro's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.5 points over those games. As for Norton, their loss dropped their record down to 12-9.

Norton came up short against Streetsboro in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 44-33. Can Norton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.