The Norton Bluejays will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Smith Center Redmen at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Norton comes in on six and Smith Center on nine.
Last Monday, Norton's game was all tied up 19-19 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They secured a 43-37 W over Ellis.
Norton got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jenessa Ruder out in front who scored 16 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Ruder hasn't dropped below 15points for three straight games. Hallie Brooks was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with two steals.
In what's become a running theme this season, Smith Center gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. They beat Oakley by the very same score they won with last week: 52-24. Given Smith Center's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while Oakley is ranked 137th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Norton's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Smith Center, they pushed their record up to 9-0 with that win, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season.
Norton came up short against Smith Center in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 59-49. Can Norton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
