Basketball Game Preview: Northside Eagles vs. Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets

Northside is 0-6 against Thomas County Central since January of 2023 but things could change on Friday. The Northside Eagles will head out to challenge the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m.

Northside is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Saturday. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 41-39 heartbreaker at the hands of Mundy's Mill. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Eagles have suffered since December 5, 2023.

Meanwhile, Thomas County Central was able to grind out a solid victory over Mitchell County on Saturday, taking the game 51-40. Given the Yellow Jackets' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 169th, while the Eagles are ranked 387th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Northside better focus on containing Jaden Crews and A'Riyah Hall as the pair were huge in Thomas County Central's win. Crews almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine boards, while Hall posted eight points along with 18 boards and four steals. Hall has become a key player for Thomas County Central: the team is 6-3 when she posts at least ten boards, but 1-2 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaida Rice, who had eight points.

Thomas County Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 20 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Thomas County Central is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.1 points per game. As for Northside, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.

Northside came up short against Thomas County Central in their previous matchup back in February, falling 65-61. Can Northside avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.