The Eastbrook Panthers came tearing into Thursday's contest with 11 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They strolled past Bluffton with points to spare, taking the game 66-52. That's another feather in the cap for Eastbrook, who also won these teams' last head-to-head.
Olivia Howell continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 26 points along with four steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Sophia Morrison, who scored 14 points.
Despite the loss, Bluffton still got an impressive performance from Maryn Schreiber, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and two blocks. Schreiber hasn't dropped below two blocks for three straight games. Isabella Stout was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Bluffton struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Eastbrook's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-1. As for Bluffton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-6 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Eastbrook's road trip will continue as they head out to face Madison-Grant at 7:30 p.m. on January 20th. Madison-Grant will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Indiana Rankings (they are ranked 304th, while Eastbrook is ranked 39th). As for Bluffton, they will head out on the road to challenge Heritage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Heritage has now lost 11 straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 28.
