For the first time this season, Cardinal will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will be playing at home against the Pymatuning Valley Lakers at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Cardinal got the win against Newton Falls by a conclusive 50-26. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Huskies.
Ivy Kaminski was nothing short of spectacular: she shot 42% from the field to rack up 24 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Cardinal's points. Another player making a difference was Emily Pleva, who posted seven points and eight steals.
Cardinal 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 12 offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pymatuning Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They walked away with a 56-49 victory over Champion on Monday.
Cardinal better keep an eye on Eralyn Lockwood. She was instrumental in Pymatuning Valley's win, dropping a double-double with 16 points and 14 boards. Sadie Paul was another key player, going 6-for-13 on her way to 19 points and five steals.
Pymatuning Valley's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Cardinal, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cardinal has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Pymatuning Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cardinal suffered a grim 59-37 defeat to Pymatuning Valley in their previous meeting back in December of 2021. Thankfully for the Huskies, Cassie Clute (who shot 44% from the field en route to 32 points and five steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
