Having just played yesterday, the Highland Park Scots will head out on the road to face off against the Atchison Phoenix at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Highland Park is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.6 points per game this season.
Highland Park is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Topeka just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They took a 53-45 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Trojans. The loss put an end to the Scots' undefeated start to the season.
Despite the defeat, Highland Park saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Pearmella Carter dropped a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 37.8% of Highland Park's points, marking the sixth time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. Tahtionna Broils was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to five boards and five steals.
Even though they lost, Highland Park smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Atchison didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Shawnee Mission North on Monday, but they still walked away with a 46-42 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Phoenix.
Atchison's win came from a few key players Highland Park will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kaiya Downing, who went 6 for 8 en route to 12 points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Ashlyn Housh, who put up 12 points.
Atchison pushed their record up to 3-4 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.7 points per game. As for Highland Park, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Highland Park has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Atchison struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Highland Park against Atchison in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the team secured a 60-30 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Highland Park since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
