Even though the Northwestern Bulls scored an imposing 62 points on Tuesday, the Norland Vikings still came out on top. Norland walked away with a 73-62 win over Northwestern. Given Norland's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 21st, while Northwestern is ranked 96th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Norland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Marcus Allen led the charge by scoring 17 points along with nine rebounds and three blocks. Allen hasn't dropped below 15points for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Jamal Ware, who scored eight points along with five assists and five steals.
Despite the defeat, Northwestern saw an underclassman step up: Calvin Russel scored 34 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. That was a full 54.8% of Northwestern's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Giovanny Desire was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with three blocks.
Norland's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 12-8. As for Northwestern, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-7 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Norland will take on Miami at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Miami is coming into the match hot, having won their last eight games. As for Northwestern, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Hialeah at 7:30 p.m.
