Basketball Game Preview: Fort Wayne Northrop Bruins vs. Fort Wayne South Side Archers

A classic North v. South matchup is on the schedule. The Fort Wayne Northrop Bruins will take on the Fort Wayne South Side Archers in a holiday battle at at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Fort Wayne Northrop has six straight victories, Fort Wayne South Side has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Last Friday, everything came up roses for Fort Wayne Northrop against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers as the squad secured a 67-29 win. The Bruins have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Swynn Jackson was her usual excellent self, almost dropping a double-double on 17 points and nine steals. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in steals. Another player making a difference was Alivia Rice, who posted 11 points in addition to six boards and four steals.

Fort Wayne Northrop smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 15 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Fort Wayne South Side came up short against New Haven on Wednesday and fell 44-33.

Fort Wayne South Side's defeat dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Fort Wayne Northrop, they pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.

Everything came up roses for Fort Wayne Northrop against Fort Wayne South Side in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, as the team secured a 57-23 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Fort Wayne Northrop since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.