The Nardin Academy Gators will take on the Nichols Vikings at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Nardin Academy will bounce into Thursday's match after beating Sacred Heart Academy, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Nardin Academy walked away with a 46-37 victory over Sacred Heart Academy on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Gators.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Nichols over Williamsville North in every quarter on their way to victory on Monday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Nichols blew Williamsville North out of the water with a 71-33 final score. That 38 point margin sets a new team best for the Vikings this season.
Nardin Academy better keep an eye on Julieta Cruz. She was instrumental in Nichols' win, dropping a triple-double on 22 points, 11 rebounds, and ten steals. Cruz is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 15 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Evelyn Walcott, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 14 boards.
Nichols smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 18 consecutive contests.
Nichols pushed their record up to 11-7 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.4 points per game. As for Nardin Academy, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-6 and their overall record up to 8-11.
Nardin Academy might still be hurting after the 50-24 loss they got from Nichols in their previous matchup back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Walcott, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 14 rebounds. Now that Nardin Academy knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
