Catawba Ridge is 3-0 against Northwestern since January of 2023, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Catawba Ridge Copperheads will head out on the road to challenge the Northwestern Trojans at 7:45 p.m. Hopefully Catawba Ridge is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Northwestern in South Carolina (Catawba Ridge is ranked fourth, while Northwestern is ranked 71st).
After a string of 11 wins, Catawba Ridge's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They received a tough blow as they fell 57-41 to Indian Land.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Lance Barnes, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Quh'Mareon Webb, who scored eight points along with five steals.
Catawba Ridge struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Northwestern can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 63-43 margin over York. The score was close at the half, but Northwestern pulled away in the second half with 35 points.
Northwestern's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mason Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. Mitchell continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylan Moore, who scored 15 points along with four steals.
Catawba Ridge's defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 21-3. As for Northwestern, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 11-13.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Barnes and Mitchell. Barnes has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 19.1 points, 2.9 steals, and 4.2 assists. For his part, Mitchell has averaged 12.6 points, 1.4 blocks, and 1.9 steals.
Everything came up roses for Catawba Ridge against Northwestern when the teams last played back in January as the squad secured a 67-36 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Catawba Ridge since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
