Basketball Preview: North Mustangs vs. Central Bobcats
North is 7-1 against Central since December of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The North Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Central Bobcats at 5:30 p.m. North is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.3 points per game this season.
North and South Mountain faced off in a cross-town battle on Wednesday. North strolled past South Mountain with points to spare, taking the game 54-37. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly 17 points.
North's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ayanna Goode, who went 5 for 12 en route to 16 points plus three steals. Goode has been hot , having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Xxylina Flores, who earned 14 points in addition to six steals.
North smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, a win for Central just wasn't in the cards on Wednesday as the team wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They had to suffer through a 102-5 loss at the hands of Cesar Chavez. The loss continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Champions: they've now lost seven in a row.
North pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.2 points per game. As for Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.
Everything came up roses for North against Central when the teams last played back in December of 2023, as the squad secured a 78-51 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Central's Lia Sims, who almost dropped a double-double on 40 points and nine rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be easier for North to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
