The Whitko Wildcats waltzed into their game on Saturday with six straight wins but they left with seven. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 47-45 victory over Northfield. Given Whitko's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 95th, while Northfield is ranked 263rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Whitko found their leader in underclassman Reese Stonebraker, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kloe Krieg, who scored 12 points.
Northfield's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Hannah Holmes, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 17 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Holmes has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Elli Baker, who scored nine points.
Whitko's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.1 points per game. As for Northfield, their defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 8-12.
Whitko will head out on the road to challenge Fort Wayne Bishop Luers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Northfield, they will be playing at home against Rochester at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday.
