The Northside Grizzlies waltzed into their matchup on Friday with nine straight wins but they left with ten. They strolled past Bentonville with points to spare, taking the game 52-38. Given Northside's advantage in MaxPreps' Arkansas basketball rankings (they are ranked second, while Bentonville is ranked 33rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Erianna Gooden was her usual excellent self, scoring 23 points along with six rebounds and five steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Northside's points. Hazley Grotjohn was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with five rebounds.
Northside has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 games, which provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. As for Bentonville, they have not been sharp recently as the team has lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Northside will take on Bentonville West at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Northside's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Bentonville West has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road. As for Bentonville, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Fayetteville at 6:00 p.m. on February 13th. Fayetteville will roll in looking for their seventh straight victory, something Bentonville surely won't give up without a fight.
