Preview: Neumann Regional Academy Golden Knights vs. South Williamsport Mountaineers
Neumann Regional Academy has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will square off against the South Williamsport Mountaineers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Neumann Regional Academy will be strutting in after a win while South Williamsport will be coming in after a loss.
On Tuesday, Neumann Regional Academy earned a 55-48 win over Bucktail.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Neumann Regional Academy to victory, but perhaps none more so than GiGi Parlante, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Parlante is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last 15 games she's played. Shanniyah Tutler was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, South Williamsport came up short against Line Mountain on Monday and fell 46-38. South Williamsport has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Abby Akers put forth a good effort for the losing side as she dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 55.3% of South Williamsport's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Moore, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Neumann Regional Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. As for South Williamsport, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-12 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Neumann Regional Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like South Williamsport struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Neumann Regional Academy beat South Williamsport 45-34 in their previous meeting back in January. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Akers, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Neumann Regional Academy still be able to contain Akers? There's only one way to find out.
