Basketball Game Preview: Wausa Vikings vs. Elgin/Pope John Wolfpack

Wausa hasn't had much luck against Elgin/Pope John recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Wausa Vikings will welcome the Elgin/Pope John Wolfpack at 3:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

If Elgin/Pope John heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Wausa took over last week. Wausa strolled past Creighton with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 49-32. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.

Wausa can attribute much of their success to Carlie Kleinschmit, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards, and Taylor Dawson, who posted 11 points and six steals. The dominant performance also gave Dawson a new career-high in assists (three). Another player making a difference was Olivia Barta, who had six points and nine rebounds.

Wausa smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Elgin/Pope John put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They enjoyed a cozy 41-25 victory over Plainview. The team accrued 31 points in the first half and coasted on those for the win.

Elgin/Pope John's win came from a few key players Wausa will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Madelyn Kurpgeweit, who put up 12 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Braelyn Martinsen, who posted 11 points.

Elgin/Pope John's victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.8 points per game. As for Wausa, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

Wausa lost to Elgin/Pope John at home by a decisive 49-33 margin when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Thankfully for Wausa, Keyera Eisenhauer (who earned 20 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.