Basketball Game Preview: North Central Thunderbirds vs. Clay City Eels

The North Central Thunderbirds will venture away from home to challenge the Clay City Eels at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. North Central is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.

North Central came up into this matchup off a tough 30-point loss last Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Shakamak by a score of 68-66 last Saturday.

Meanwhile, Clay City blew past Shakamak, posting a 68-33 win. The Eels have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Clay City's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-3. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.3 points over those games. As for North Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.

North Central might still be hurting after the 67-41 loss they got from Clay City in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can North Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.