Poca is 0-10 against Nitro since February of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Poca The Dots will be staying on the road to face off against the Nitro Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Poca will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps West Virginia Rankings (they are ranked 80th, while Nitro is ranked eighth).
Poca suffered their biggest defeat since December 4, 2023 on Thursday. They suffered a rough 69-45 loss at the hands of Sissonville. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Poca has suffered against Sissonville since February 13, 2020.
Despite their loss, Poca saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Chloe Wheeler, who scored four points along with seven rebounds and six assists, was perhaps the best of all. Wheeler is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Shiloh Harding, who scored nine points.
Even though they lost, Poca were working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Nitro posted their biggest victory since November 30, 2023 last Saturday. They put the hurt on Philip Barbour with a sharp 81-59 victory. Nitro has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Nitro's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Karson Jones, who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks, and Natalie Smith, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 13 rebounds. Mika Adams was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Poca has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-10 record this season. As for Nitro, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Poca have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Nitro struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 33.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Poca took a serious blow against Nitro when the teams last played back in November of 2023, falling 82-38. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Smith, who scored 24 points along with six rebounds and five blocks. Now that Poca knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
