Preview: O'Neill Eagles vs. Battle Creek Braves
O'Neill and Battle Creek are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2016, but not for long. The O'Neill Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Battle Creek Braves at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. O'Neill knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three games -- so hopefully Battle Creek likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, O'Neill earned a 63-52 victory over Ord.
O'Neill's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Turner Heiss, who scored 20 points along with two steals, and Drew Morrow, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time this season that Morrow pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Trevor Alder, who scored seven points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Battle Creek was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap last Saturday as they fell 49-44 to Guardian Angels Central Catholic.
O'Neill's victory bumped their record up to 12-9. As for Battle Creek, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-9 record this season.
Everything came up roses for O'Neill against Battle Creek in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 62-31 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for O'Neill since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
