The Northwood Timberwolves had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They snuck past Quartz Hill with a 75-69 win on Wednesday. Given Northwood's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 84th, while Quartz Hill is ranked 428th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Northwood got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ryan Abaye out in front who scored 19 points along with five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Abaye has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Sidd Raj, who scored 20 points along with three steals.
Ty'Jahwuan Jackson and Jaidyn Norman certainly did their best on Wednesday to avoid the loss. Jackson dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds, while Norman scored 26 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Norman is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 17 or more in the last seven games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jerimiah Williams, who scored 12 points along with five steals and two blocks.
Northwood has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 22-7 record this season. As for Quartz Hill, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 16-12.
Northwood is on the road again on Friday and plays Huntington Beach at 7:00 p.m. on February 9th. Northwood is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 64.7 points per game this season. Quartz Hill does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
