Lowell hasn't had much luck against Rensselaer Central recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Lowell Red Devils will head out to take on the Rensselaer Central Bombers at 7:00 p.m.
Lowell is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Merrillville on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Lowell took a blow against Merrillville, falling 72-40. The Red Devils were down 52-29 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Despite the defeat, Lowell saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Gatlin Hanrath dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. Hanrath continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last five games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Josephine Laub, who posted five points.
Meanwhile, Rensselaer Central hadn't done well against Kankakee Valley recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Rensselaer Central breezed by Kankakee Valley to the tune of 83-40. The Bombers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 26 points or more this season.
Lowell better keep an eye on Taylor Van Meter. She was instrumental in Rensselaer Central's win, almost dropping a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. Van Meter's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Kamri Rowland was another key player, going 7 for 12 en route to 17 points along with seven boards and three steals.
Rensselaer Central was working as a unit and finished the game with 27 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Rensselaer Central's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 37.9 points. As for Lowell, their loss dropped their record down to 14-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lowell has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 29.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Rensselaer Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lowell was taken down by Rensselaer Central 76-29 in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Can Lowell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
