The North Newton Spartans will take on the Rossville Hornets in a tournament on Monday.
North Newton will head into Friday's matchup out to bounce back: they won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Friday. They took a blow against DeMotte Christian, falling 50-11. The Spartans were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-4.
Piper Ivey was North Newton's leading scorer, having posted three points. Rylynn Klemz held things down on the boards with four rebounds.
Meanwhile, Rossville hadn't done well against Carroll recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Rossville skirted past Carroll 36-33. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Hornets as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Rossville's win came from a few key players North Newton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Victoria Vanderwall, who posted six points along with six rebounds and three steals. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Ava Burkle was another key player, putting up nine points along with eight boards and four steals.
Rossville's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for North Newton, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Newton has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Rossville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Newton ended up a good deal behind Rossville in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, losing 46-31. Can North Newton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
