Okawville has been on the road for five straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Sparta Bulldogs at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Monday, Okawville came up short against the Indians/Lady Indians and fell 56-49.
Okawville's loss came about despite a quality game from Alayna Kraus, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. Kraus has been hot recently, having posted 16 or more points the last 14 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Caroline Tepe, who scored eight points.
Meanwhile, Sparta's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They fell to Trico 37-31.
Sparta might have lost, but man, Kenzie Pierce was a machine: she scored 17 points along with four steals. Pierce continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Ruthie Pillers was another key contributor, scoring five points along with seven rebounds.
Okawville has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-8 record this season. As for Sparta, they dropped their record down to 5-16 with that loss, which was their third straight at home.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Okawville have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sparta struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Okawville against the Bulldogs when the teams last played back in December of 2023 as the team secured a 67-26 victory. Will Okawville repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
