The South Bend Saint Joseph Huskies will challenge the Mishawaka Marian Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in South Bend Saint Joseph's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.
On Tuesday, South Bend Saint Joseph didn't have too much trouble with Glenn as they won 56-42. Give the Huskies' offense some serious credit: that high-scoring performance was actually the fewest points they've scored all season.
South Bend Saint Joseph's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Arianna Rowell led the charge by putting up 19 points along with five boards and five steals. That makes it six consecutive games in which Rowell has scored at least a third of the Huskies' points. Another player making a difference was Kayla Woods, who shot 55% from the field on her way to 15 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mishawaka Marian). They enjoyed a cozy 64-45 victory over Oregon-Davis on Wednesday. While the Knights didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Mishawaka Marian's win came from a few key players South Bend Saint Joseph will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kariya Byer, who dropped a double-double with 19 points and 12 boards. The contest was her seventh in a row with at least 15 points. Addison O'Hara was another key player, scoring 14 points.
South Bend Saint Joseph's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.5 points over those games. As for Mishawaka Marian, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: South Bend Saint Joseph has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 37 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Mishawaka Marian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
South Bend Saint Joseph beat Mishawaka Marian 55-43 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Byer, who dropped a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Huskies still be able to contain Byer? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
