The DuSable Panthers struggled with offensive rebounds on Friday (the Catalyst-Maria Wolves had nine more) and sadly the final score reflected it. DuSable fell just short of the Wolves by a score of 29-27. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for DuSable in their matchups with the Wolves: they've now lost three in a row.
When it comes to explaining why DuSable lost, one person who can't be blamed is Damaya Plant. Despite the final result, she scored 19 points. That was a full 70.4% of DuSable's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Lanae Harris was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Catalyst-Maria's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Janiyah Shelby, who scored eight points along with five assists and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Perla Garcia, who scored 12 points.
DuSable's loss dropped their record down to 9-6. As for Catalyst-Maria, they have been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. DuSable will face off against the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The pair have allowed few points on average, (Hancock: 11.7, the Panthers: 21.2) so any points scored will be well earned. As for Catalyst-Maria, they will head out on the road to square off against the at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Josephinum is on a three-game streak of home wins, the Wolves a 13-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season)-- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court.
