The Lincoln Railsplitters and the Belleville West Maroons will face off at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday without much rest, having both just played. The timing is sure in Lincoln's favor as the team sits on ten straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Belleville West has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Lincoln saw some tournament action on Friday. They blew past Danville 55-34.
Lincoln had a senior duo take command as Karson Komnick went 9-for-12 on his way to 23 points along with six boards and three steals and Brody Tungate shot 54% from the field to rack up 19 points in addition to five assists and four steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Komnick has scored at least a third of the Railsplitters' points. Another player making a difference was Breon McKinnie, who posted six points.
Belleville West not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since February 8th (when they won 58-22). They breezed past Mt. Zion to the tune of 62-33.
Lincoln better keep an eye on J'Dyn Lloyd. He was instrumental in Belleville West's win, shooting 50% from the field en route to 19 points. Micah May was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to five assists and five rebounds.
Belleville West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.
Belleville West's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Lincoln, their win bumped their record up to an identical 3-0.
Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday's matchup: Lincoln has been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 35.8% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Belleville West, though, as they've only made 24.5% of their three-pointers this season. Given Lincoln's sizable advantage in that area, the Maroons will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lincoln didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Belleville West in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 37-33 victory. Will the Railsplitters repeat their success, or do the Maroons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
