Preview: Lapel Bulldogs vs. Monroe Central Golden Bears
Two dominant players in Laniah Wills and Kimber Abshear are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Lapel Bulldogs will head out on the road to face off against the Monroe Central Golden Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lapel is looking to tack on another W to their eight-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
Lapel scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 72-13 victory over Tipton. That looming 72-13 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Lapel yet this season.
Lapel found their leader in underclassman Wills, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. The contest was Wills' 11th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Madelyn Poynter, who scored 13 points along with six assists.
Meanwhile, Monroe Central had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Monday. They came out on top against South Adams by a score of 47-36. Given Monroe Central's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while South Adams is ranked 260th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Abshear continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a triple-double on 14 points, 13 rebounds, and nine blocks. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last five times she's played. Sydney Patterson was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with four steals.
Lapel's win bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Monroe Central, their win bumped their record up to 9-2.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Lapel hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 58.7 points per game. It's a different story for Monroe Central, though, as they've been averaging only 48 points per game. The only thing between Lapel and another offensive beatdown is Monroe Central. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Lapel beat Monroe Central 48-41 in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lapel since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
