Basketball Game Preview: Temple Christian Pioneers vs. Hardin Northern Polar Bears

The Temple Christian Pioneers will face off against the Hardin Northern Polar Bears at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Temple Christian will be strutting in after a victory while Hardin Northern will be coming in after a loss.

On Tuesday, everything went Temple Christian's way against Ridgedale as Temple Christian made off with a 54-30 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Pioneers.

Meanwhile, Hardin Northern took a blow against Arlington on Saturday, falling 72-36. While losing is never fun, the Polar Bears can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 636th, while the Red Devils are ranked 109th).

Defeat or not, Hardin Northern got some senior leadership from Xander Wilson and Mason Stewart. Wilson went 7 of 17 en route to 20 points and six rebounds, while Stewart posted four points. Stewart is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played.

Temple Christian's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-7. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.5 points per game. As for Hardin Northern, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season.

Temple Christian came up short against Hardin Northern when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 53-47. Will Temple Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.