Penn is 10-0 against NorthWood since December of 2014 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Penn Kingsmen are taking a road trip to take on the NorthWood Panthers at 7:45 p.m. Penn will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Penn is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing La Porte: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Penn blew La Porte out of the water with a 74-18 final score. The Kingsmen have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 matchups by 23 points or more this season.
| 01/28/25 @ La Porte | 5 |
| 01/23/25 vs South Bend St. Joseph | 2 |
| 01/17/25 @ New Prairie | 3 |
Penn's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jessa Troy, who went 7 for 13 en route to 18 points along with six assists and five steals. Troy is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Addison Hummel was another key player, going 7 of 8 on her way to 17 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals.
Troy wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Penn was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as La Porte only posted eight assists.
Meanwhile, NorthWood beat Fairfield 35-28 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
NorthWood's win came from a few key players Penn will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Claire Payne, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine boards. Another player making a difference was Ella Branham, who posted 11 points and three steals.
Penn has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 13 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.5 points per game. As for NorthWood, their win bumped their record up to 17-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's game: Penn has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.3% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for NorthWood, though, as they've only made 25.6% of their threes this season. Given Penn's sizable advantage in that area, NorthWood will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Penn against NorthWood in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 57-27 victory. Does Penn have another victory up their sleeve, or will NorthWood turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
