Whitko is on a six-game streak of home wins, while Northfield is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Whitko Wildcats will take on the Northfield Norsemen at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you drain six more threes than your opponent, a fact Whitko proved on Tuesday. They strolled past Fort Wayne Wayne with points to spare, taking the game 69-54. Given Whitko's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 95th, while Fort Wayne Wayne is ranked 204th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Whitko's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Reese Stonebraker led the charge by scoring 15 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Stonebraker hasn't dropped below two steals for seven straight games. Jayma Stonebraker was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with four steals.
Northfield posted their biggest win since December 5, 2023 on Thursday. They put the hurt on Madison-Grant with a sharp 60-36 win.
Hannah Holmes was her usual excellent self, scoring 18 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Elli Baker, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Whitko's victory bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Northfield, their win bumped their record up to 8-11.
Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday's match: Whitko have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 37.6% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Northfield, though, as they've only made 30.8% of their threes per game this season. Given Whitko's sizeable advantage in that area, Northfield will need to find a way to close that gap.
Whitko was able to grind out a solid victory over Northfield in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, winning 63-56. Does Whitko have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northfield turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
