The Smithsburg Leopards will face off against the Southern Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Smithsburg is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They breezed past Perryville to the tune of 72-34. The win was familiar territory for the Leopards, who have now won five games in a row.
Skyla Mastronardi
| 03/07/25 vs Perryville | 5 |
| 03/05/25 vs Catoctin | 4 |
| 03/03/25 vs Liberty | 6 |
| 02/21/25 vs Liberty | 7 |
| 02/18/25 vs Brunswick | 2 |
| 02/17/25 @ Spring Mills | 3 |
Smithsburg's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Skyla Mastronardi led the charge by going 9-for-15 to rack up 21 points in addition to eight assists and five steals. Mastronardi is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last six games she's played. Claire Bono was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.
Smithsburg smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in ten consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Southern came tearing into Saturday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.1 points), and they left with even more momentum. They took their game with ease, bagging a 70-23 victory over the Eagles. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Eagles are ranked 126th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Southern's win came from a few key players Smithsburg will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Carly Wilt, who shot 67% from the field on her way to 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Joycelyn Ward, who posted ten points and six rebounds.
Southern's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 23-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 30.7 points. As for Smithsburg, their victory bumped their record up to 20-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Smithsburg has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Southern struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Smithsburg might still be hurting after the 61-37 loss they got from Southern when the teams last played back in March of 2017. Can Smithsburg avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
