Gateway has been on the road for six straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Cypress Lake Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Gateway scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 76-9 win over Island Coast. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Gateway has managed all season.
Gateway got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was V'Davrielle Johnson out in front who scored 14 points along with nine steals and five assists. Johnson is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Kenyah Moss, who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Cypress Lake came tearing into Monday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Dunbar 52-11 on the road. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31-6.
Cypress Lake's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lilly Witz, who scored 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bri Madore, who scored 13 points.
Gateway pushed their record up to 11-2 with that win, which was their ninth straight on the road. They've been dominating during the games in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 38.44 points. As for Cypress Lake, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Gateway have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 32.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Cypress Lake, though, as they've been averaging only 11.4 rebounds per game. Given Gateway's sizeable advantage in that area, Cypress Lake will need to find a way to close that gap.
Gateway strolled past Cypress Lake in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 by a score of 50-36. Does Gateway have another victory up their sleeve, or will Cypress Lake turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
