Basketball Preview: Ellis Railroaders vs. Ness City Eagles
After six games on the road, Ellis is heading back home. They will take on the Ness City Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Ellis beat the Golden Eagles 49-45. The win was just what Ellis needed coming off of a 68-43 loss in their prior match.
Ellis found their leader in underclassman Aiden Aschenbrenner, who scored 21 points along with six steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Aschenbrenner has scored at least a third of Ellis' points. Another player making a difference was Jaren Frickey, who scored 16 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Ness City humbled the Kats with a 85-23 victory. That looming 85-23 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Ness City yet this season.
Ellis' victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-10. As for Ness City, their victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10.
Ellis came up short against the Eagles in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 59-48. Thankfully for Ellis, Trey Solze (who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.