Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTHWOOD AT PENN
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Thursday in Mishawaka
Coaches: Dan Gunn (NorthWood); Dean Foster (Penn)
Records: NorthWood 13-4; Penn 14-3
Last Game: Bremen 68, NorthWood 67, OT; Mishawaka Marian 50, Penn 49 OT
Last Year: Penn 56, NorthWood 54
Matchup: This game will be a battle of teams coming off close overtime losses last week. The Penn Kingsmen are coming off a tough one-point overtime loss to Mishawaka Marian last Thursday, while NorthWood lost to Bremen in overtime last Thursday before defeating Whitko Tuesday. The Penn squad will look to two Andrews to lead their offensive and defensive attack. Andrew Laird and his 16.8 points per game to lead Penn's offense. Andrew White is the second-leading scorer with 16.2 points per game, and he leads the defensive attack with 6.0 rebounds per contest. NorthWood will depend on leading scorer Charlie Roeder, who averages 17.6 points per contest. Roeder also pulls down an average of 6.7 rebounds per game. Brock Doty and Ian Reed score 15.3 and 11.4 points per game, respectively. Rory Clouse grabs 5.5 boards per game.
Foster: "NorthWood is a very good basketball team. To win the NLC you have to be a great basketball team. They have had several players step up and lead them in different games. That makes them extremely dangerous. They are tough to defend because they have a lot of weapons. They can shoot the three, but they shoot inside as well. The key in the game will be rebounding the ball. If we let them get the offensive boards and get the upper hand, we are in for a long night."
Gunn: "Penn has good size, and Laird and White and (Marqus) Husband are good players. We'll have our hands full, for sure. Their top eight are as strong as anyone in the area. The key for the game will be rebounding well and handling the ball well. Defensively we will need push them and offensively we will need to execute."
