Thunder Ridge is 3-0 against Northern Valley since January of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Thunder Ridge Longhorns will face off against the Northern Valley Huskies at 6:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
With a playoff game on the line, Thunder Ridge rose to the challenge on Friday. They walked away with a 42-32 victory over the Tigers. The win made it back-to-back wins for Thunder Ridge.
Thunder Ridge's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Madison Brown, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Jenna Barnes, who scored nine points along with seven steals. Brown continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Starla Cochrun, who scored seven points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Northern Valley waltzed into their game on Friday with two straight wins but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 45-29 win over Golden Plains.
It was another big night for Austyn Cox, who scored 22 points along with seven rebounds. Braxton Cox was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Thunder Ridge's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.5 points per game. As for Northern Valley, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a massive bump to their 10-11 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Thunder Ridge have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Northern Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Thunder Ridge came out on top in a nail-biter against Northern Valley when the teams last played back in December of 2023, sneaking past 35-33. The rematch might be a little tougher for Thunder Ridge since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
