Preview: Northern Valley Huskies vs. Decatur Community Red Devils
Two dominant guards in Austyn Cox and Brylee Minnick are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Northern Valley Huskies will be playing at home against the Decatur Community Red Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Northern Valley focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up eight on Friday.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Northern Valley on the road against Triplains/Brewster as the team secured a 60-28 victory. The victory was just what Northern Valley needed coming off of a 65-38 defeat in their prior contest.
Northern Valley's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Cox, who scored 23 points along with four steals, and Audrey Bina, who dropped a triple-double on 13 points, 24 rebounds, and 12 steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Cox has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Braxton Cox, who scored nine points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Decatur Community came up short against Norton on Tuesday and fell 36-23. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Decatur Community has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Decatur Community saw an underclassman step up: Minnick scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Jenna Fortin was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Northern Valley has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a massive bump to their 7-10 record this season. As for Decatur Community, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Northern Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Decatur Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Northern Valley ended up a good deal behind Decatur Community in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, losing 49-35. Will Northern Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
