Preview: South Central Satellites vs. Tri-Township Tigers
South Central is 8-2 against Tri-Township since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The South Central Satellites will be staying on the road to face off against the Tri-Township Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
South Central suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Thursday. They suffered a rough 57-36 loss at the hands of Morgan Township. While losing is never fun, South Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 361st, while Morgan Township is ranked 146th).
South Central's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jay Huerta, who scored 13 points, and Brayden Lautenbach who scored four points along with nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Tri-Township's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their fifth straight loss. They were outmatched by Boone Grove on the road and fell 71-37. Tri-Township has struggled against Boone Grove recently, as their matchup on Wednesday was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Tri-Township had strong showings from Carter Welkie, who scored seven points, and Dillon Stewart, who scored six points along with six rebounds.
South Central has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. As for Tri-Township, they bumped their record down to 3-10 with that loss, which was their 11th straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: South Central have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.7 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Tri-Township, though, as they've been averaging only 24.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
South Central strolled past Tri-Township when the teams last played back in January of 2023 by a score of 55-40. The rematch might be a little tougher for South Central since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
