The Winfield Generals will head out on the road to challenge the Wayne Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Winfield will head into Friday's matchup on the come-up: they were handed a 21-point loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 46-43 victory over Cabell Midland. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Generals have posted since January 25, 2024.
Ashlee Johnson
| 01/03/25 @ Cabell Midland | 10 |
| 12/12/23 vs Poca | 10 |
| 01/13/24 vs Lewis County | 10 |
| 12/09/23 @ St. Joseph Central | 8 |
| 12/17/24 @ Sissonville | 8 |
Winfield's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ashlee Johnson, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine boards. That's the most points Johnson has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Gabriella Canterbury, who posted nine points in addition to six assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Wayne came tearing into Thursday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 19.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Panthers 65-30. The Pioneers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 26 points or more this season.
Wayne's win came from a few key players Winfield will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Addie Adkins, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Adkins, who went 7 of 12 on her way to 17 points along with five boards and five steals.
Wayne smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 30 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Winfield has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 5-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Wayne, their win bumped their record up to 6-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Winfield has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Wayne struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Winfield might still be hurting after the 62-40 defeat they got from Wayne in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Winfield avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
