Basketball Game Preview: Whiting Oilers vs. River Forest Ingots

The Whiting Oilers will face off against the River Forest Ingots at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Whiting is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.

Whiting is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Hanover Central on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Whiting lost 55-29 to Hanover Central. While losing is never fun, the Oilers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 326th, while the Wildcats are ranked 147th).

Despite their defeat, Whiting saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Victoria Velez, who posted eight points and three steals, was perhaps the best of all.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask River Forest). They had just enough and edged Illiana Christian out 57-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Ingots have posted since November 14, 2023.

Whiting's loss dropped their record down to 1-6. As for River Forest, the win got them back to even at 5-5.

Whiting strolled past River Forest when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a score of 52-33. The rematch might be a little tougher for Whiting since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.