The Middle Township Panthers entered their tilt with the Ocean City Raiders with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Middle Township came out on top against Ocean City by a score of 46-33 on Wednesday. Given Middle Township's advantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while Ocean City is ranked 190th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Middle Township's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Sarah Farrow, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds. That's the first time this season that Farrow pulled down eight or more rebounds. Madison Palek was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with five rebounds and three blocks.
Despite the loss, Ocean City still got an impressive performance from McKenna Chisholm, who scored eight points along with 18 rebounds and four steals. Those four steals set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Gabrielle Henry, who scored three points.
Even though they lost, Ocean City were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Middle Township's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.2 points per game. As for Ocean City, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Middle Township will take on Wildwood Catholic at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Wildwood Catholic has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 312 points over their last five matchups. Ocean City's road trip will continue as they head out to face Mainland Regional at 5:30 p.m. on January 5th. Mainland Regional is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling.
