The Hershey Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Grand Island Central Catholic Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hopefully Hershey focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 24 on Thursday.
Last Thursday, Hershey was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 56-50 to the Wolves.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Emma Hall, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds. She hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Haily Miller, who scored nine points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Grand Island Central Catholic entered their tilt with the Huskies with 11 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 12. Grand Island Central Catholic enjoyed a cozy 52-35 win over the Huskies on Tuesday. Given Grand Island Central Catholic's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Huskies are ranked 119th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Grand Island Central Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Carolyn Maser, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. Maser is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last eight games she's played. Bryndal Moody was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Hershey's defeat dropped their record down to 11-7. As for Grand Island Central Catholic, their victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-1.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hershey have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Grand Island Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hershey came up short against the Crusaders in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 53-47. Can Hershey avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
