O'Neill is 0-3 against Elgin/Pope John since January of 2016 but things could change on Tuesday. The Eagles will head out to face off against the Wolfpack at 5:00 p.m. O'Neill will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.
O'Neill is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Aurora: they outscored them in every quarter. The Eagles put the hurt on the Huskies with a sharp 71-46 win on Saturday. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matchups by 20 points or more this season.
O'Neill's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Hannah Hilker, who shot 44% from the field to rack up 18 points. Another player making a difference was Bergyn Classen, who went 7-for-9 en route to 16 points.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Elgin/Pope John on Friday. They blew past Stuart 59-34. The Wolfpack haven't had any issues with the Broncos recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
O'Neill better focus on containing Braelyn Martinsen and Madelyn Kurpgeweit as the pair were huge in Elgin/Pope John's win. Martinsen dropped a double-double with 19 points and 11 boards, while Kurpgeweit dropped a double-double with 21 points and ten rebounds. Martinsen has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. Elizabeth Moser was another key player, putting up four points.
Elgin/Pope John smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive games.
O'Neill's record now sits at 13-1. As for Elgin/Pope John, their record is now 13-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: O'Neill has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Elgin/Pope John struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
O'Neill opened the new year with a less-than-successful 50-39 loss to Elgin/Pope John. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
