Yates and Wheatley are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2020, but not for long. A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Yates Lions take on the Wheatley Wildcats at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Yates is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat Scarborough 79-9. The victory was nothing new for the Lions as they're now sitting on five straight.
Karneshia Smith
| 01/11/25 vs Scarborough | 9 |
| 01/07/25 @ Furr | 6 |
| 12/21/24 @ Worthing | 7 |
| 12/18/24 @ Washington | 12 |
| 12/14/24 vs Northside | 4 |
Yates got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Karneshia Smith out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine steals. Smith is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Taniyah Cooper was another key player, dropping a double-double on 20 points and 18 boards.
Yates smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Wheatley had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 37.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 61-14 victory over the Bulldogs. With the Wildcats ahead 43-3 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Yates better keep an eye on Jamie Solomon. She was instrumental in Wheatley's win, going 8 of 12 from beyond the arc on her way to 33 points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Caria Thomas, who almost dropped a triple-double on nine points, nine boards, and nine assists.
Wheatley pushed their record up to 16-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 50.6 points. As for Yates, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-6 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Yates has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Wheatley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Yates took a serious blow against Wheatley in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 77-35. Can Yates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
