Northwest is 0-10 against Heights since February of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Northwest Grizzlies will head out on the road to face off against the Heights Falcons at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Saturday, Northwest was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 62-58 to Derby. While losing is never fun, the Grizzlies can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Panthers are ranked third).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was River Peters, who went 6 for 12 on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Dj Brown, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 16 points and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Northwest smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Heights put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They secured a 59-54 W over Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
Northwest better keep an eye on Amalachi Wilkins. He was instrumental in Heights' win, dropping a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds. Wilkins is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Jalihn Timmons, who went 7 of 13 on his way to 14 points.
Heights pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.0 points per game. As for Northwest, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 7-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Northwest has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Northwest was taken down by Heights 74-32 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Northwest avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
