Basketball Game Preview: Middletown Middies vs. Monroe Hornets

Middletown has gone 3-0 against Monroe recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Middletown Middies will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Monroe Hornets at 2:00 p.m. Middletown will be strutting in after a win while Monroe will be coming in after a defeat.

Middletown took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Saturday. They managed a 51-45 victory over Colerain. The Middies' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Leila Johnson continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 17 points and 13 boards. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Amauria Reip, who posted nine points and six rebounds.

Middletown smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Monroe might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting Oakwood an easy 55-30 win. The loss continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Lumberjacks: they've now lost five in a row.

Monroe's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Middletown, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.

Middletown didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Monroe in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 44-40 win. Does Middletown have another victory up their sleeve, or will Monroe turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.