Basketball Recap: Wicksburg's Victory on Friday Extends Winning Streak to Three

Wicksburg hadn't done well against Houston Academy recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Wicksburg Panthers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Houston Academy Raiders, sneaking past 31-28. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Panthers have posted since December 21, 2023.

Houston Academy's loss came despite strong showings from Molly Rutland and Mary Helen Mendheim. Rutland almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine blocks, while Mendheim dropped a double-double on ten boards and ten steals. Mendheim has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last four times she's played. Another player making a difference was Naya Bilbeisi, who posted four points and 11 rebounds.

Panthers

Previous 3 Games

01/10/25 @ Houston Academy	31-28
01/07/25 vs Slocomb	34-28
01/03/25 vs Dale County	53-29

The victory (which was Wicksburg's third in a row) raised their record to 15-7. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.3 points per game. As for Houston Academy, they dropped their record down to 5-5 with the loss, which was their third straight at home.

Wicksburg will head out on the road to take on Northside Methodist Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Houston Academy, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 34-24 win against Dale County on the 11th.