The Nichols Vikings will square off against the Cardinal O'Hara Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
With a playoff game on the line, Nichols rose to the challenge on Sunday. They came out on top against the Lancers by a score of 50-42. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Nichols.
Brianna Barr-buday was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 16 rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down ten or more in the last 11 games she's played. Madisen Wilson was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Cardinal O'Hara entered their tilt with Sacred Heart Academy with 20 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 21. Cardinal O'Hara really took it to Sacred Heart Academy for the full four quarters, racking up a 82-41 victory at home. Cardinal O'Hara has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 15 matches by 20 points or more this season.
Cardinal O'Hara's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kyla Hayes, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 15 rebounds. Hayes hasn't dropped below nine rebounds for nine straight games. Another player making a difference was Annabelle Day, who scored 20 points along with seven assists and six steals.
Nichols is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-9 record this season. As for Cardinal O'Hara, their victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 23-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Nichols have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cardinal O'Hara struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Nichols was dealt a bruising 62-33 defeat at the hands of Cardinal O'Hara when the teams last played on February 8th. Can Nichols avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
