The Carroll Cougars will take on the Delphi Community Oracles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Delphi Community took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Carroll, who comes in off a win.
Carroll picked up another tournament win last Saturday. They enjoyed a cozy 60-41 victory over Western Boone. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 148th, while the Stars are ranked 309th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 12/28/24 vs Western Boone | 20 |
| 12/27/24 vs Tipton | 22 |
| 12/27/24 vs Lewis Cass | 15 |
Carroll got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jillian Salts out in front who went 9 for 16 on her way to 20 points and seven rebounds. Salts' morning made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Emily Justice was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 12 points and nine boards.
Meanwhile, Delphi Community fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Winamac on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 57-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Warriors. The Oracles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Defeat or not, Delphi Community got some senior leadership from Jenna Roth and Maddy Brown. Roth posted 19 points along with five boards and five steals, while Brown dropped a double-double on 13 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 37.3% of Delphi Community's points, marking the third time in a row she's had more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Payton Morrow, who put up nine points.
The victory made it two in a row for Carroll and bumps their season record up to 11-5. As for Delphi Community, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Carroll has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Delphi Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Carroll against Delphi Community in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 70-39 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Carroll since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
