Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton hasn't had much luck against Pope County recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton will challenge the Pope County Pirates at 6:00 p.m.
Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton is headed into the match out to prove that what happened against Woodlawn on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton was dealt a 67-25 defeat at the hands of Woodlawn. Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 44-12.
| 01/23/25 @ Woodlawn | 11 |
| 01/22/25 @ Sparta | 13 |
| 01/21/25 vs Galatia/Thompsonville | 13 |
| 01/14/25 @ Century | 16 |
| 01/13/25 @ Cobden | 15 |
| 12/28/24 vs Sandoval | 11 |
Ashlyn Stayton put forth a good effort for the losing side as she almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down 11 or more in the last six games she's played.
Even though they lost, Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Pope County's strategy against Joppa-Maple Grove on Monday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Pope County blew Joppa-Maple Grove out of the water with a 51-18 final score. With the Pirates ahead 30-10 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Pope County's win came from a few key players Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bella Fasolo, who went 7 of 15 on her way to 23 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Another player making a difference was Lawson Forthman, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 18 boards.
Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton's loss dropped their record down to 5-15. As for Pope County, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 34.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Pope County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 41.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton was taken down by Pope County 67-33 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Elverado/Zeigler-Royalton was down 46-20.
