The North Medford Black Tornado and the North Eugene Highlanders will compete for holiday cheer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. North Medford is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 62.8 points per game this season.
North Medford took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They escaped with a win against McNary by the margin of a single free throw, 48-47.
| 12/17/24 vs McNary | 7 |
| 12/06/24 @ Nelson | 6 |
| 02/02/24 @ South Eugene | 5 |
| 12/01/23 vs Clackamas | 3 |
| 12/18/23 vs Muir | 3 |
Easton Curtis was his usual excellent self, going 6 for 13 on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds. Those seven rebounds gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Scott, who posted 11 points.
North Medford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, North Eugene waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Kingsmen by a score of 58-49. 58 seems to be a good number for the Highlanders as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of points in their previous game.
North Eugene's win came from a few key players North Medford will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was D'Mariyae Ireland, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Robinson, who put up 12 points and five rebounds.
North Eugene's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.0 points per game. As for North Medford, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as North Medford and North Eugene are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. North Medford hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 62.8 points per game. However, it's not like North Eugene struggles in that department as they've been averaging 60.3 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
North Medford came up short against North Eugene when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 66-53. Can North Medford avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
