Basketball Recap: East Providence Comes Up Short in High-Profile Contest with Central

On Monday, East Providence faced Central in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The East Providence Townies fell 78-66 to the Central Knights. The Townies were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Knights apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Lester Rodriguez was his usual excellent self, putting up 35 points for Central. Rodriguez has become a key player for Central: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least 25 points, but 2-3 otherwise. John Ramos was another key player, posting 19 points.

East Providence has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.5 points per game. As for Central, their record is now 8-4.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. East Providence won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Cumberland at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. East Providence is facing Cumberland at the right time seeing as Cumberland is stuck on a six-game losing streak. As for Central, they will also get right back to it: they'll take on Shea at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.