The Neumann Celtics will face off against the Bishop Verot Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bishop Verot will be up against a hot Neumann squad: the team just extended their winning streak to nine. Neumann claimed a resounding 56-10 win over Southwest Florida Christian. Given the Celtics' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 180th, while the King's are ranked 542nd), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/21/25 vs Southwest Florida Christian | 8 |
| 01/17/25 @ Donahue Catholic | 10 |
| 01/15/25 @ Gateway Charter | 12 |
Neumann's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mylee Van De Wouw, who went 7 for 12 en route to 14 points in addition to eight rebounds and five steals. Van De Wouw is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games she's played. Maddy Donahue was another key player, going 7 of 11 on her way to 14 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Neumann smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Bishop Verot had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 25 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 69-18 victory over the Seahawks.
Neumann better focus on containing Caroline Ward and Cameron O'Halloran as the pair were huge in Bishop Verot's win. Ward went 8 for 11 en route to 21 points and three steals, while O'Halloran went 7 of 17 on her way to 21 points in addition to six assists and three steals. Another player making a difference was Gwen Pfleger, who posted seven points and eight boards.
Neumann is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points per game. As for Bishop Verot, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Neumann has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bishop Verot struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Neumann strolled past Bishop Verot in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a score of 49-32. Does Neumann have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bishop Verot turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
