Basketball Game Preview: North Olmsted Eagles vs. Rocky River Pirates

North Olmsted is 0-7 against Rocky River since December of 2014 but things could change on Saturday. The North Olmsted Eagles will welcome the Rocky River Pirates at 12:30 p.m. North Olmsted will be strutting in after a win while Rocky River will be coming in after a defeat.

Last Monday, North Olmsted didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against North Royalton, but they still walked away with a 45-41 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.

North Olmsted had a senior duo take command as Katie Strong posted seven points and seven rebounds and Taylor Wengstrom earned 11 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Julia Tahsin, who put up nine points.

Meanwhile, Rocky River suffered their biggest loss since February 14, 2024 on Friday. They came up short against Chaminade Julienne Catholic, falling 44-22. The game marked the Pirates' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Despite the defeat, Rocky River saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Elizabeth Lang dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds. Lang is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down ten or more in the last six games she's played.

Rocky River's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 8-3. As for North Olmsted, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Olmsted has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Rocky River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

North Olmsted couldn't quite finish off Rocky River in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 and fell 38-35. Thankfully for North Olmsted, Ava Patti (who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 14 boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.