The Norfolk Collegiate Mighty Oaks will head out on the road to square off against the Hampton Roads Academy Navigators at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Norfolk Collegiate took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They walked away with a 44-34 win over Cape Henry Collegiate.
Norfolk Collegiate got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Catherine Wells out in front who posted 12 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Sanaa Coone was another key player, putting up eight points and seven boards.
Meanwhile, Hampton Roads Academy had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.4 points) and they went ahead and made it eight on Tuesday. They blew past the Knights 69-6. The contest marked the Navigators' most dominant win of the season so far.
Norfolk Collegiate better keep an eye on Kenzie Cooper. She was instrumental in Hampton Roads Academy's win, dropping a triple-double on 25 points, 19 rebounds, and ten steals. The dominant performance gave Cooper a new career-high in steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Zuriel Pendleton-Morant, who went 6 for 9 on her way to 12 points in addition to eight steals and five boards.
Hampton Roads Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Hampton Roads Academy's victory was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.3 points per game. As for Norfolk Collegiate, their record now sits at 5-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Norfolk Collegiate has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 25.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Hampton Roads Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Norfolk Collegiate came up short against Hampton Roads Academy in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 56-50. Can Norfolk Collegiate avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
