The Osmond Tigers will head out to challenge the Wausa Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
On Tuesday, Osmond came up short against Santee and fell 42-34. The Tigers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Sophie Gansebom
| 02/11/25 @ Santee | 5 |
| 02/08/25 vs Winnebago | 3 |
| 02/03/25 vs Wynot | 3 |
| 01/16/25 vs Stuart | 3 |
| 01/14/25 vs Newman Grove/St. Edward | 3 |
Osmond's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Sophie Gansebom, who posted eight points in addition to 11 boards and five steals, and Korrine Moes, who put up 15 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Those five steals gave Gansebom a new career-high.
Even though they lost, Osmond smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Wausa was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 34-31 heartbreaker at the hands of Hartington-Newcastle. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Vikings have suffered since December 6, 2024.
Osmond will have to contain Taylor Dawson as she made an impact in Wausa's last game. She had 15 points. That was a full 48.4% of Wausa's points, marking the third time in a row she's scored more than a third of the team's points.
Osmond's loss dropped their record down to 7-16. As for Wausa, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-13.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Osmond has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Wausa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Osmond came up short against Wausa when the teams last played back in January, falling 45-39. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Dawson, who went 5 of 12 to rack up 22 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Now that Osmond knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
