The Sparta Bulldogs will head out to take on the Gibault Catholic Hawks at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Sparta is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.
Sparta is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Okawville on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Sparta was beaten by Okawville 66-26. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 469th, while the Rockets are ranked 108th).
Despite the defeat, Sparta saw an underclassman step up: freshman Sierra Starr went 6 for 11 on her way to 13 points and six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Sparta smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Gibault Catholic came up short against Red Bud on Wednesday and fell 40-29. The Hawks haven't had much luck with the Musketeers recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
Sparta will have to keep a close watch on Karmon Grohmann and Kamille Grohmann, a pair of players who had a big impact on Gibault Catholic's prior game. Karmon dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards, while Kamille posted eight points and five assists. Kamille is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played.
Gibault Catholic now has a losing record at 12-13. As for Sparta, their loss dropped their record down to 7-15.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sparta has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 34.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Gibault Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sparta ended up a good deal behind Gibault Catholic when the teams last played back in February of 2024, losing 53-36. Can Sparta avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
