Preview: North Central Knights vs. Anselmo-Merna Coyotes
North Central has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Anselmo-Merna Coyotes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Thursday, North Central came up short against West Holt and fell 49-42.
North Central's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jackson Hallock, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds, and Kol Otten who scored 13 points. Hallock has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last five times he's played. Mason Hagan was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, North Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Anselmo-Merna's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They lost to Sumner-Eddyville-Miller on the road by a decisive 51-35 margin. Anselmo-Merna has struggled against Sumner-Eddyville-Miller recently, as their game on Tuesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
North Central has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season. As for Anselmo-Merna, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-9.
North Central came up short against Anselmo-Merna when the teams last played back in January of 2022, falling 50-41. Can North Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
