Cherry is 1-9 against Cromwell since November of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Tigers challenge the Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cherry had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the court, which might have inspired the 35-point drubbing they dealt Carlton/Wrenshall last Thursday. Cherry blew past Carlton/Wrenshall 54-19. Winning may never get old, but the Tigers sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Anna Serna
| 02/20/25 vs Carlton/Wrenshall | 7 |
| 02/18/25 @ South Ridge | 6 |
| 02/14/25 vs Kelley | 6 |
| 02/11/25 vs Cook County | 10 |
| 02/10/25 vs Cromwell | 2 |
| 02/06/25 @ Greenway | 4 |
It was another big night for Anna Serna, who posted 22 points in addition to eight boards and seven assists. She has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Another player making a difference was Charli Kangas, who earned 11 points.
Cherry smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Cromwell had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They simply couldn't be stopped on Thursday as they easily beat Kelley 73-20. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 105th, while the Mariners are ranked 401st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cromwell found their leader in sophomore Shannon Lund, who went 10-for-14 en route to 24 points and six steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Lund has scored all season. Isabella Anderson was another key player, shooting 53% from the field to rack up 16 points and six steals.
Cherry's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-11. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points on average over those games. As for Cromwell, their record is now 22-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cherry has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cromwell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cherry suffered a grim 70-48 defeat to Cromwell in their previous meeting back in February. Can Cherry avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
