The East Nicolaus Spartans had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They rang in the new year with a 41-34 victory over Durham. That's another feather in the cap for East Nicolaus, who also won these teams' last head-to-head.
Rylee Gillespie was her usual excellent self, scoring 11 points along with nine steals. Gillespie is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Tiare Faupula, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Durham's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Taryn Wilk, who scored nine points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Wilk has scored all season. Clare Osbon was another key contributor, scoring six points.
East Nicolaus' victory was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-5. As for Durham, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-7 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. East Nicolaus will take on Colusa at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Colusa and East Nicolaus are at an even 4-4 over their past eight head-to-heads. As for Durham, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Willows at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in California (Willows is ranked 841st, while Durham is ranked 835th).
