Basketball Game Preview: Shakamak Lakers vs. North Central Thunderbirds

Shakamak is 2-8 against North Central since December of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Shakamak Lakers will take on the North Central Thunderbirds at 7:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

Shakamak is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 54-29 margin over Clay City. The win was some much needed relief for the Lakers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, North Central entered their tilt with Bloomfield on Wednesday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They claimed a resounding 56-29 victory over the Cardinals. Given the Thunderbirds' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Cardinals are ranked 351st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Shakamak better focus on containing Shelby Seay and Jalyn Davidson as the pair were huge in North Central's win. Seay went 8 of 14 en route to 26 points along with six rebounds and six steals, while Davidson posted 18 points in addition to seven assists and five steals. Davidson's evening made it nine games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points.

North Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 21-3 record this season. As for Shakamak, their win bumped their record up to 13-11.

Shakamak didn't have too much breathing room in their game against North Central in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 66-60 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Seay, who went 9 for 16 on her way to 27 points. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Shakamak still be able to contain Seay? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.