Basketball Game Preview: Lawrence North Wildcats vs. Marion Giants

Lawrence North is on a four-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Marion is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Lawrence North Wildcats will welcome the Marion Giants at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Lawrence North knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past six contests -- so hopefully Marion likes a good challenge.

Last Saturday, Lawrence North took their match with ease, bagging a 71-42 win over Franklin Central. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 29 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Marion beat Huntington North 73-60 last Saturday. Given the Giants' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 62nd, while the Vikings are ranked 216th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lawrence North better focus on containing Logan Barnes and Tim Jones as the pair were huge in Marion's win. Barnes went 6 of 11 on his way to 17 points and eight rebounds, while Jones went 6 of 13 on his way to 18 points and four steals. Jones' evening made it seven games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Amar Rogers, who went 6 of 15 on his way to 13 points.

Marion smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Marion's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Lawrence North, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-1.

Everything went Lawrence North's way against Marion when the teams last played back in December of 2023, as Lawrence North made off with a 98-72 victory. Does Lawrence North have another victory up their sleeve, or will Marion turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.