Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] has been on the road for four straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. Having just played yesterday, they will get right back to it and host the Lutheran-Northeast Eagles at 6:15 p.m. on February 9th. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
On Thursday, Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] came up short against Elgin/Pope John and fell 53-45. Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] has struggled against Elgin/Pope John recently, as their game on Thursday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Lydia Robertson, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and three steals, and Adyson Mlnarik who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and five steals. Mlnarik is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Jenna Funk, who scored two points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Lutheran-Northeast struggled with offensive rebounds on Tuesday (Laurel-Concord-Coleridge had ten more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Lutheran-Northeast received a tough blow as they fell 50-34 to Laurel-Concord-Coleridge. While losing is never fun, Lutheran-Northeast can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 217th, while Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is ranked 82nd).
Despite the defeat, Lutheran-Northeast got a solid performance out of Emerson Scott, who scored ten points. Scott is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three games straight. Kendra Petersen was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s defeat ended a seven-game streak of away wins and brought them to 15-5. As for Lutheran-Northeast, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight contests, which is still a better percentage than their 4-16 record this season.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.9% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Lutheran-Northeast struggles in that department as they've made 66.5% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] beat Lutheran-Northeast 49-42 in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Lutheran-Northeast's Mia Wiederin, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
