Norfolk Catholic and the Blue Devils are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2018, but not for long. Having just played yesterday, the Norfolk Catholic Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Wayne Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on February 6th. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Norfolk Catholic has three straight victories, the Blue Devils have seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Even though Norfolk Catholic has not done well against the Shamrocks recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Norfolk Catholic came out on top against the Shamrocks by a score of 40-30. That's two games straight that Norfolk Catholic has won by exactly ten points.
Norfolk Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Avery Yosten, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jacey Wolf was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Meanwhile, Wayne suffered their closest loss since December 29, 2023 last Saturday. They fell just short of O'Neill by a score of 44-41.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Claire Lutter, who scored six points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. It was the first time this season that she pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Taytem Ellis, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Norfolk Catholic's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-7. As for Wayne, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 11 of their last 13 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-15 record this season.
Tuesday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Norfolk Catholic have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Wayne struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Norfolk Catholic lost to the Blue Devils on the road by a decisive 50-35 margin when the teams last played back in February of 2023. Thankfully for Norfolk Catholic, Brooklyn Kruse (who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 11 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
