Southwood has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Bluffton Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 20 to 6 on the offensive boards, a fact Southwood proved on Saturday. They managed a 30-26 victory over Eastern.
Emmerson Chellis and Hali Pershing were among the main playmakers for Southwood as the former scored four points along with ten rebounds and the latter scored four points along with 12 rebounds and three steals. Chellis set a new season high mark in rebounds with ten. Another player making a difference was Gracie Lambert, who scored 14 points.
Meanwhile, Bluffton entered their tilt with Woodlan with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Bluffton sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 47-44 win over Woodlan on Friday.
Isabella Stout was her usual excellent self, scoring 24 points along with seven rebounds. The matchup was Stout's third in a row with at least ten points. Maryn Schreiber was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Southwood's victory bumped their record up to 2-5. As for Bluffton, their victory bumped their record up to 9-1.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Southwood have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Bluffton, though, as they've been averaging only 33.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Southwood took their win against Bluffton when the teams last played back in December of 2022 by a conclusive 40-17. The rematch might be a little tougher for Southwood since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
