One of the friendliest but intense rivalries in high school girls’ basketball resumes tonight at Lancer Circle as Manitowoc Lutheran hosts St. Mary Catholic in a Big East North Division showdown.
Both teams come in state-ranked, as the Zephyrs are fourth in the latest Division Four Max Preps poll.
St. Mary Catholic has yet to lose a North Division game (7 and 0), and their only loss came to undefeated Oostburg on January 16th.
Manitowoc Lutheran, ranked ninth in Division Four, is amid another great season, currently sitting 6 and 1 in the Big East North and 14 and 3 overall.
The Lancers are led in scoring by senior Makiah Krause, who averages nearly 19 points per game.
She also grabs about 5 rebounds and dishes out nearly 3 assists per contest.
Senior Marissa Melhorn averages just about a double-double, scoring 13 points and snatching nine boards per game.
The Lancers also have a good surrounding cast, with senior Abby Behnke grabbing seven rebounds per game and senior Lily Melhorn handing out more than 4 assists per contest.
St. Mary Catholic is also a very deep and talented team led by junior Autumn Crowe.
The Big East North Player of the Year candidate scores 22-and-a-half points per game on 57-and-a-half percent shooting.
She also leads the Zephyrs in rebounding at nine-and-a-half per contest while dishing out nearly three assists per game.
Junior Lucy Nackers scores the ball at 12 points per game, and Sophomore Gabby Guerrero averages nearly 10 points per game.
All three are shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line, with Crowe knocking down 76-and-a-half percent from the charity stripe.
St. Mary Catholic has a decided edge from the line, shooting 69 percent compared to 47 percent for the Lancers.
The Lances have an edge on the glass, averaging about three more boards per game, and their tenacious 1-3-1 zone, intended to speed up opponents, has been their main weapon.
They have taken 1,045 shots while the Zephyrs rely on more of a half-court approach, taking 888 total shots entering tonight’s game.
St. Mary Catholic won the first matchup between these schools 47 to 39 on December 5th in Fox Crossing.
The scheduled tip-off is 7:15 p.m.
