Basketball Recap: Hammond Central Takes a Loss

Hammond Central played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through an 84-47 loss at the hands of the 21st Century Charter Cougars. If the Wolves were looking for revenge after losing 81-59 to the Cougars when the teams met back in December of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Hammond Central's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elijah Lewis, who shot 60% from the field en route to 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Semaj Davis, who went 5-for-10 on his way to 12 points and eight rebounds.

21st Century Charter got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Terrence Hayes Jr. out in front who shot 59% from the field to rack up 27 points along with seven boards and three steals. Hayes Jr. is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Ronald Mosley was another key player, going 8-for-15 en route to 21 points.

Hammond Central has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season. As for 21st Century Charter, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 4-2.

Coming up, Hammond Central won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Varsity Opponent at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for 21st Century Charter, they and East St. Louis will face off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday without much rest, having both just played. The Cougars will need to watch out since the Flyers have now posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.