Basketball Game Preview: St. Mary's Cardinals vs. Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] Bobcats

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the St. Mary's Cardinals challenge the Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday... St. Mary's is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.

Last Tuesday, St. Mary's beat Bloomfield 50-41.

St. Mary's found their leader in sophomore Pyper Ickes, who posted 18 points along with eight rebounds and five steals. Ickes has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Emerson Mlnarik was another key player, putting up nine points and three blocks.

Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] over Creighton in every quarter on their way to victory on Tuesday. Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] took down Creighton 56-41.

St. Mary's better keep an eye on Jenna Funk. She was instrumental in Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s win, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. They are 3-1 when Funk posts eight or more rebounds, but 3-5 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Lydia Robertson, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine boards.

Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January of 2024.

St. Mary's win was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.0 points per game. As for Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard], they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a massive bump to their 6-6 record this season.

St. Mary's came up short against Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 50-37. Will St. Mary's have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.