Basketball Recap: Oakwood Find Success

Westville came into Friday's match looking for another win against Oakwood, but Gracie Hanner wouldn't allow it. The Oakwood Comets skirted past the Westville Tigers 53-51 thanks in part to Hanner, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 19 points and six steals. Those 19 points gave her a new career-high.

The team also got some help courtesy of Rylee Wright, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine boards. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played.

Westville's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gwen Bennett, who posted 12 points along with eight boards and three steals. Bennett is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games she's played. Lani Gondzur was another key player, putting up 16 points and three steals.

Oakwood's victory bumped their record up to 5-11. As for Westville, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-9.

Oakwood and Westville could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. Oakwood (ranked 625th) will meet Benton Central (ranked 151st) at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Similarly, Westville (ranked 534th) will meet Salt Fork (ranked 114th) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.