Preview: North Central Knights vs. Ainsworth Bulldogs
North Central is 1-7 against Ainsworth since December of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The North Central Knights' homestand continues as they prepare to take on the Ainsworth Bulldogs at 8:00 p.m. on January 18th. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Thursday, North Central came up short against West Holt and fell 49-42.
North Central's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jackson Hallock, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds, and Kol Otten who scored 13 points. Hallock hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for five straight games. Mason Hagan was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, North Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Ainsworth managed to keep up with O'Neill until halftime on Thursday, but things quickly went downhill from there. Ainsworth suffered a tough 72-46 defeat at the hands of O'Neill. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Ainsworth has suffered against O'Neill since January 12, 2017.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Morgan Kinney, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Trey Appelt, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds.
North Central has been struggling recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season. As for Ainsworth, their loss dropped their record down to 9-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: North Central have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Ainsworth, though, as they've been averaging only 34.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
North Central couldn't quite finish off Ainsworth in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 and fell 47-45. Will North Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
