Preview: Ripley Vikings vs. Lincoln Cougars
Two dominant guards in Sophie Nichols and Ashlyn Riley are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ripley Vikings will be playing at home against the Lincoln Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in West Virginia (Ripley is ranked 22nd, while Lincoln is ranked 43rd).
Last Thursday, Ripley came up short against Logan and fell 44-37. Ripley has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Abigail Eastman, who scored eight points. The team also got some help courtesy of Erin Ryan, who scored 15 points.
Meanwhile, even though Bridgeport scored an imposing 56 points on Thursday, Lincoln still came out on top. Lincoln enjoyed a cozy 71-56 victory over Bridgeport.
Riley continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 30 points along with six assists and five steals. That makes it six consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Lincoln's points. Sadie Adams was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with three steals.
Ripley's defeat dropped their record down to 11-10. As for Lincoln, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ripley have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ripley took their victory against Lincoln in their previous meeting two weeks ago by a conclusive 62-41. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Riley, who scored 19 points along with eight rebounds and three blocks. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Ripley still be able to contain Riley? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
