The O'Neill Eagles will be playing at home against the Norfolk Catholic Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
O'Neill posted their biggest win yet this season on Saturday. They breezed by Neligh-Oakdale at home to the tune of 59-29. The win was just what O'Neill needed coming off of a 64-24 defeat in their prior match.
Lauryn Dusatko and Hannah Hilker were among the main playmakers for O'Neill as the former scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and the latter scored 15 points along with five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Dusatko has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Presley Heiss, who scored seven points along with four steals.
Meanwhile, Norfolk Catholic scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They blew past Lutheran-Northeast 61-36. The win was just what Norfolk Catholic needed coming off of a 37-16 defeat in their prior match.
Norfolk Catholic found their leader in underclassman Sidonia Wattier, who scored 21 points along with seven rebounds. Hayden Brummer was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with six rebounds and two steals.
O'Neill pushed their record up to 6-9 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.0 points per game. As for Norfolk Catholic, their victory ended a seven-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-6.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy match: O'Neill have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 22.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Norfolk Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 27.2 rebounds per game. Given O'Neill's sizeable advantage in that area, Norfolk Catholic will need to find a way to close that gap.
O'Neill didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Norfolk Catholic when the teams last played back in January of 2023, but they still walked away with a 43-39 victory. Will O'Neill repeat their success, or does Norfolk Catholic have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
