Gibbon is 0-5 against Elm Creek since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The two teams will round out the year against one another at 2:30 p.m. at. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Gibbon fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back wins it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They pulled ahead with a 25-24 photo finish over Hi-Line [Eustis-Farnam/Elwood].
Gibbon relied on the efforts of Carla Murillo-Corona, who scored eight points along with nine rebounds and three blocks, and Brooke Sell, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. That makes it five consecutive games in which Murillo-Corona has scored at least 25% of Gibbon's points.
Meanwhile, Elm Creek beat St. Patrick's 43-31 on Tuesday. The victory was just what Elm Creek needed coming off of a 61-30 loss in their prior contest.
Ashley Bauer was the offensive standout of the matchup as she scored 16 points along with seven rebounds. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for her. Chelsea Kottich was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Gibbon's victory ended a ten-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-6. As for Elm Creek, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Gibbon have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 24.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Elm Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 26.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Gibbon came up short against Elm Creek when the teams last played back in December of 2021, falling 50-38. Can Gibbon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
