Olympic and Palisades are an even 3-3 against one another since December of 2022, but not for long. The Olympic Trojans will be playing at home against the Palisades Pumas at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Olympic will be strutting in after a win while Palisades will be coming in after a loss.
Olympic took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 44-24 margin over Ballantyne Ridge.
Chaya James
| 01/31/25 vs Ballantyne Ridge | 2 |
| 01/24/25 @ South Mecklenburg | 3 |
| 01/18/25 vs Morrow | 7 |
| 01/17/25 vs Berry | 2 |
| 01/14/25 vs Ardrey Kell | 3 |
Olympic found their leader in sophomore Chaya James, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten boards. James has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last ten times she's played. Another player making a difference was Arianna Shaw, who went 5 of 8 on her way to 10 points and three steals.
Olympic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Palisades ended up a good deal behind South Mecklenburg on Friday and lost 54-38. The Pumas haven't had much luck with the Sabres recently, as the team's come up short the last six times they've met.
Olympic will have to contain Tynilla Simpkins as she made an impact in Palisades' last game. She dropped a double-double on 23 points and 18 rebounds. That's the most points Simpkins has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklyn Young, who posted six points and four steals.
Palisades' defeat dropped their record down to 8-12. As for Olympic, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 8-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Olympic has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Palisades struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Olympic beat Palisades 43-34 when the teams last played back in January. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Simpkins, who dropped a double-double on ten rebounds and 55 steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Olympic still be able to contain Simpkins? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
