Basketball Game Preview: Grayslake Central Rams vs. Lakes Eagles

The Grayslake Central Rams will head out on the road to face off against the Lakes Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Grayslake Central will be strutting in after a victory while Lakes will be coming in after a loss.

Grayslake Central took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 55-53 win over Maine East. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 191st, while the Blue Demons are ranked 461st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Lakes suffered their closest defeat since February 21, 2024 on Monday. They fell just short of Wauconda by a score of 66-64. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Grayslake Central has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Lakes, their loss dropped their record down to 6-12.

Grayslake Central came up short against Lakes in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 54-43. Can Grayslake Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.