Basketball Recap: Abbie Ritzema and Ella Olthof Secure Win for Illiana Christian

Illiana Christian hadn't done well against Hobart recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Illiana Christian Vikings came out on top against the Hobart Brickies by a score of 53-41. For the Vikings, this counts as revenge for the 51-48 win the Brickies walked away with the last time they faced one another back in December of 2023.

Illiana Christian was led to victory by Ella Olthof and Abbie Ritzema. Olthof dropped a double-double on 11 points and 15 boards, while Ritzema went 6 of 15 on her way to 19 points in addition to six rebounds and six steals. The dominant performance gave Olthof a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Sienna Eenigenburg, who posted 12 points.

Illiana Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in nine consecutive games.

Hallie Pendleton and Riley Weber certainly did their best on Wednesday to avoid the loss. Pendleton put up 13 points and three steals, while Weber had 11 points and seven rebounds. Pendleton is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last three games she's played.

Illiana Christian's victory bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Hobart, their defeat was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-6.

Illiana Christian wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 53-13 win against Calumet New Tech on the 14th. As for Hobart, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 51-46 loss against Kankakee Valley on the 13th.