The Nichols Vikings will face off against the Nardin Academy Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Tuesday, Nichols ended up a good deal behind Cardinal O'Hara and lost 64-45. The Vikings haven't had much luck with the Hawks recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Nichols might have lost, but man, Evelyn Walcott was a machine: she dropped a double-double on 19 points and 15 rebounds. Nichols is 2-1 when Walcott posts eight or more boards, but 2-5 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Julieta Cruz, who posted ten points in addition to seven boards and five assists.
Even though they lost, Nichols smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in ten consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Nardin Academy played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. 2025 welcomed they with a 68-45 loss courtesy of Iroquois. The Gators were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-16.
Nichols will need focus on slowing down Kara Krupski, one of several Nardin Academy players who made an impact when they last played. She put up 16 points. Another player making a difference was Olivia Braun, who had six points and 12 rebounds.
Nichols' loss dropped their record down to 4-6. As for Nardin Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-5 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Nichols has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 35 boards per game. However, it's not like Nardin Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Nichols strolled past Nardin Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 41-26. Will Nichols repeat their success, or does Nardin Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
