Basketball Game Preview: Nordonia Knights vs. Avon Eagles

After both having extra time off, the Nordonia Knights and the Avon Eagles will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Nordonia has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Nordonia was handed a heart-breaking three-point defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Barberton last Saturday. Nordonia simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Barberton 57-17. The contest marked the Knights' most dominant victory of the season.

Meanwhile, Avon was not able to break out of their rough patch last Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 51-49 heartbreaker at the hands of Midview. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Eagles came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 128th, while the Middies are ranked 445th).

Despite the defeat, Avon saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Alaina Pagan went 9-for-18 on her way to 25 points and five boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Pagan has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Abby Owens, who posted ten points.

Even though they lost, Avon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Midview only pulled down five offensive rebounds.

Nordonia's win bumped their record up to 7-15. As for Avon, their loss dropped their record down to 16-6.