After two games on the road, Madison is heading back home. They will take on the Neligh-Oakdale Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Monday, Madison suffered a tough 58-37 defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Madison has struggled against the Tigers recently, as their game on Monday was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Madison saw an underclassman step up: Salena Duinkerken scored 14 points along with six rebounds and three steals. That was a full 37.8% of Madison's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Wedy Atanacio, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Neligh-Oakdale's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fourth straight defeat. They took a 60-47 hit to the loss column at the hands of North Central. Neligh-Oakdale found out winning isn't easy when you're outrebounded 13 to 5 on offense.
The losing side was boosted by Hailey Horstmann, who scored 23 points along with three steals and two blocks. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mallory Belitz, who scored nine points along with six assists.
Madison has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-10 record this season. As for Neligh-Oakdale, they dropped their record down to 3-13 with that loss, which was their third straight at home.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Madison have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Neligh-Oakdale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Madison and the Warriors were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in January of 2023, but the Dragons came up empty-handed after a 31-30 loss. Will Madison have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
