After three games on the road, Grand Island Central Catholic is heading back home. They will take on the Hershey Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hopefully Grand Island Central Catholic is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Panthers in Nebraska (the Crusaders are ranked fifth, while the Panthers are ranked 81st).
Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 11 more assists than your opponent, a fact Grand Island Central Catholic proved on Tuesday. They took down Aurora 52-35. Grand Island Central Catholic pushed the score to 44-20 by the end of the third, a deficit the Huskies cut but never quite recovered from.
Grand Island Central Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Carolyn Maser, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. Maser is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last eight games she's played. Another player making a difference was Bryndal Moody, who scored 12 points.
Meanwhile, Hershey was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 56-50 to the Wolves.
Despite their defeat, Hershey saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Emma Hall, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Hall hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Haily Miller was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with six rebounds.
Grand Island Central Catholic's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-1. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.6 points per game. As for Hershey, their loss dropped their record down to 11-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Grand Island Central Catholic have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hershey struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Grand Island Central Catholic didn't have too much breathing room in their game against the Panthers in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, but they still walked away with a 53-47 win. Will Grand Island Central Catholic repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
