Westside has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will be home for the holidays to greet the West Laurens Raiders at 6:00 p.m. Hopefully Westside focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Wednesday.
Westside scored the most points they've had all season to find success. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Rutland 64-12 on the road. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Westside has managed all season.
Westside's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Taylor Frazier, who scored eight points along with 11 rebounds and three steals, and Taylor Talton, who scored 16 points along with seven steals and five assists. Those 11 rebounds set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Jorden Billue, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, West Laurens fought the good fight in their overtime match against Griffin on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Bears 56-52. West Laurens just can't catch a break and has now endured three losses in a row.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Brookyln Jackson, who scored 12 points. Tariah Tobler was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Westside's victory ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4. As for West Laurens, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Westside have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for West Laurens, though, as they've been averaging only 22.4 rebounds per game. Given Westside's sizeable advantage in that area, West Laurens will need to find a way to close that gap.
Westside came up short against West Laurens in their previous matchup back in January, falling 47-42. Can Westside avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
