The Nitro Wildcats waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They came out on top against Winfield by a score of 57-45. That's another feather in the cap for Nitro, who also won these teams' last head-to-head.
Nitro's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Natalie Smith led the charge by scoring 15 points along with six rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklyn Cawley, who scored ten points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Winfield's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emeri Nelson, who scored 11 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Nelson has scored all season. Gabriella Canterbury was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with three steals.
Nitro pushed their record up to 13-3 with that victory, which was their seventh straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.0 points per game. As for Winfield, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8.
Nitro's homestand continues as they prepare to take on the Irish at 4:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Hopefully Charleston Catholic focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 15 on Thursday. Winfield's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on February 1st. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in West Virginia (Chapmanville Regional is ranked 24th, while the Generals are ranked 34th).
