vs
| 12/20/24 - Away | 60-55 W |
| 12/15/23 - Home | 67-65 W |
| 02/28/23 - Neutral | 53-41 W |
| 12/16/22 - Away | 56-62 L |
| 12/17/21 - Home | 52-39 W |
| + 5 more games |
Evansville Reitz and Castle are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2017, but not for long. The Evansville Reitz Panthers will challenge the Castle Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Evansville Reitz has given up an average of 58.2 points per game this season, so hopefully the team got some defensive drills in this week.
Last Saturday, Evansville Reitz came up short against St. Mary's and fell 91-82.
Despite the defeat, Evansville Reitz saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Jaylan Mitchell dropped a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. Another player making a difference was Lavell Tinsley, who went 5-for-8 to rack up 12 points along with six boards and three steals.
Meanwhile, Castle's game on Friday was all tied up 29-29 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They took a 62-53 hit to the loss column at the hands of Jeffersonville. The Knights' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Evansville Reitz will need to focus on slowing down Jakob Wongler, one of several Castle players who made an impact when they last played. He shot 70% from the field on his way to 19 points. Wongler is on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 50% in the last five games he's played. Xander Niehaus was another key player, going 6-for-11 en route to 16 points and three blocks.
Castle's defeat dropped their record down to 13-11. As for Evansville Reitz, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-5.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Mitchell and Niehaus. Mitchell has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 16.2 points, 2.2 steals, and 11.5 rebounds on 53.6% shooting. For his part, Niehaus has averaged 13.6 points, 1.8 blocks, and 2.7 steals.
Evansville Reitz didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Castle in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 60-55 win. Will Evansville Reitz repeat their success, or does Castle have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
