The Wausa Vikings will challenge the Osmond Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Wausa is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
Wausa came up into this matchup off a tough 30-point defeat on Saturday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Hartington-Newcastle by a score of 34-31 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Vikings have suffered since December 6, 2024.
The losing side was boosted by Taylor Dawson, who posted 15 points. That was a full 48.4% of Wausa's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Meanwhile, Osmond came up short against Santee on Tuesday and fell 42-34. The Tigers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Wausa will have to keep a close watch on Sophie Gansebom and Korrine Moes, a pair of players who had a big impact on Osmond's prior game. Gansebom had eight points in addition to 11 rebounds and five steals, while Moes put up 15 points along with five boards and three steals. Those five steals gave Gansebom a new career-high.
Even though they lost, Osmond smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in six consecutive contests.
Wausa's defeat dropped their record down to 9-13. As for Osmond, their loss dropped their record down to 7-16.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Wausa has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Osmond struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Wausa didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Osmond when the teams last played back in January, but they still walked away with a 45-39 victory. Does Wausa have another victory up their sleeve, or will Osmond turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
