After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Winnebago, the Dakota Indians were happy to have found some success on Thursday. They secured a 54-48 W over Durand. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Dakota also won the last time the pair played back in February of 2023.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Dakota to victory, but perhaps none more so than Hailey Kerchner, who scored 13 points along with four steals. Kerchner continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Finley Banks, who almost dropped a triple-double on ten points, nine rebounds, and nine steals.
Several Bulldogs players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Rhiannon Robertson, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds and five assists. Aurora Hilton was another key contributor, scoring six points along with ten rebounds.
Dakota's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-12. As for Durand, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-9.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Dakota's road trip will continue as they head out to face Orangeville at 6:00 p.m. on January 17th. Orangeville's defense has only allowed 28.1 points per game this season, so Dakota's offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Durand, they will head out on the road to take on Lena-Winslow at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lena-Winslow presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Durand in Illinois (Lena-Winslow is ranked 183rd, while Durand is ranked 538th).
