The Mandeville Skippers will head out to take on the Salmen Spartans at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Mandeville's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups.
Mandeville will bounce into Wednesday's contest after beating Amite, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Mandeville breezed by Amite to the tune of 73-27 on Friday. The Skippers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 21 points or more this season.
| 01/17/25 vs Amite | 22 |
| 01/15/25 vs St. Thomas Aquinas | 29 |
| 01/14/25 @ Hammond | 26 |
| 01/10/25 vs Loranger | 18 |
| 01/07/25 @ Covington | 20 |
It was another big night for Alanna Benoit, who dropped a triple-double on 22 points, 11 assists, and 11 steals. The match was her 11th in a row with at least ten points. Giulia Balbo was another key player, putting up 11 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Salmen didn't have too much trouble with Chalmette on Friday as they won 54-36. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Spartans.
Salmen's win came from a few key players Mandeville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Akayla Mcmooain, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Those 11 boards gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kendal Thomas, who went 6 of 15 en route to 16 points along with five assists and three steals.
Salmen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive contests.
Mandeville's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-6. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 27.5 points. As for Salmen, their record is now 8-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mandeville has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Salmen struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mandeville strolled past Salmen in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a score of 63-46. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mandeville since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
