Even though the Wheatland-Grinnell Thunderhawks have not done well against the St. Francis Indians recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Wheatland-Grinnell walked away with a 44-33 win over St. Francis. This was payback for Wheatland-Grinnell, who suffered a 42-36 defeat the last time these two teams met.
Wheatland-Grinnell's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Natalie Bixenman led the charge by scoring 12 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Bixenman is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Aliviah Ball was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with ten rebounds.
Wheatland-Grinnell now has a winning record of 3-2. As for St. Francis, they still haven't won a game yet this season and fell to 0-4.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Wheatland-Grinnell will take on Wallace County at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Wallace County presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Wheatland-Grinnell in Kansas (Wallace County is ranked 63rd, while Wheatland-Grinnell is ranked 211th). As for St. Francis, they will head out on the road to face off against Wichita County at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Wichita County will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
