Basketball Game Preview: Salem Wildcats vs. Centralia Orphans

Salem is 1-7 against Centralia since December of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The two teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. without much rest having both just played.

On Friday, Salem was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 57-51 to Freeburg. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Centralia entered their tilt with Cahokia on Friday with 16 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 17. They put the hurt on the Comanches with a sharp 60-37 win. The Orphans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 games by 23 points or more this season.

Centralia pushed their record up to 23-3 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home. As for Salem, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-20.

Salem was dealt a bruising 67-26 loss at the hands of Centralia when the teams last played back in February of 2024. That match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Salem was down 35-11.