Smith Center was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell 45-34 to the Norton Bluejays. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Redmen of the 36-20 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February of 2024.
Smith Center lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Kayln Ifland, who went 5-for-12 en route to 17 points and seven boards. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in three-point shooting accuracy (50%). Another player making a difference was Kaylee Weltmer, who posted two points and ten rebounds.
Redmen
| 02/14/25 @ Norton | 34-45 |
| 02/10/25 vs Superior | 32-57 |
| 02/07/25 vs Thomas More Prep-Marian | 46-47 |
| 02/04/25 @ Hoxie | 25-60 |
| 01/31/25 @ Phillipsburg | 34-40 |
Even though they lost, Smith Center smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.
Hallie Brooks continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Norton, dropping a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Brooks is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in each of the last six games she's played. Caroline Fahrenbruch was another key player, putting up seven points.
Smith Center's loss dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Norton, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a massive bump to their 8-11 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Smith Center will welcome Minneapolis at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Norton, it'll be a Battle of the Birds when the Bluejays take on the Golden Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
