vs
| 02/12/24 - Away | 54-65 L |
| 12/10/22 - Home | 61-39 W |
| 12/11/21 - Away | 44-25 W |
| 02/14/20 - Away | 51-25 W |
| 01/10/20 - Home | 57-34 W |
| + 2 more games |
Elko is 6-1 against North Valleys since January of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Elko Indians will face off against the North Valleys Panthers at 5:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
Last Wednesday, everything went Elko's way against Spring Creek as Elko made off with a 42-22 win. The Indians have beaten the Spartans the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Spartans has come to flipping the script.
Elko's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jessica Vera led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 13 points and nine boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Lindsey Johns, who posted nine points along with five rebounds and five steals.
Elko smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 43 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely North Valleys' strategy against Wooster on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that North Valleys blew Wooster out of the water with a 63-18 final score. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 games by 21 points or more this season.
Elko better focus on containing Annika Hester and Ivy Williams as the pair were huge in North Valleys' win. Hester put up 22 points in addition to eight boards and three steals, while Williams dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds. Williams is crushing it when it comes to boards: she's pulled down at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Alexys DeCremer, who scored four points along with six rebounds and five blocks.
North Valleys pushed their record up to 21-4 with the victory, which was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.8 points over those games. As for Elko, their record is now 9-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elko has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.6 boards per game. However, it's not like North Valleys struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Elko came up short against North Valleys in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 65-54. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Williams, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and 14 boards. Now that Elko knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
