North Park and Hayden are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2016, but not for long. A feisty cat fight will be fought when the North Park Wildcats take on the Hayden Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. North Park is coming into the matchup on a five-game losing streak.
North Park is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Gilpin County on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. North Park was outmatched by Gilpin County and fell 62-23. The Wildcats were down 48-17 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
North Park's defeat came about despite a quality game from Mykenzi Ramsey, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten boards. Abby Altwine was another key player, putting up five points along with nine boards and three steals.
Even though they lost, North Park smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hayden suffered their biggest loss since February 23, 2024 on Saturday. They were dealt a 61-25 defeat at the hands of Plateau Valley. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Cowboys: they've now lost six in a row.
North Park will need focus on slowing down Taryn Schlim, one of several Hayden players who made an impact when they last played. She posted two points and five rebounds.
North Park's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Hayden, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Park has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hayden struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Park came up short against Hayden when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 59-52. Thankfully for North Park, Jenna Kleckler (who went 11 of 25 on her way to 33 points in addition to seven steals and six boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
