Monrovia hasn't had much luck against Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Monrovia Bulldogs will take on the Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter Raiders at 6:00 p.m. Monrovia is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 59.1 points per game this season.
Monrovia took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They strolled past Purdue Poly Englewood with points to spare, taking the game 76-57. The Bulldogs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Monrovia relied on the efforts of Zoie Walls, who went 11 for 15 on her way to 26 points in addition to seven steals and six boards, and Emery Newlin, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Allie Tallent, who posted six points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Monrovia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They took a 51-43 hit to the loss column at the hands of Greenwood Christian Academy.
Monrovia will need focus on slowing down Macie Dill, one of several Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter players who made an impact when they last played. She put up nine points in addition to eight rebounds and seven assists. Dill has been hot recently, having also posted three or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Chima Onyia, who went 5 of 6 on her way to 10 points.
Monrovia's win bumped their record up to 8-6. As for Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, they now have a losing record at 7-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Monrovia has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Monrovia against Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 62-31 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monrovia since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
