Basketball Game Preview: Central Eagles vs. Anson Bearcats

The Central Eagles will take on the Anson Bearcats in a holiday battle at at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Central is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They put the hurt on North Central with a sharp 84-63 win on Tuesday. Winning may never get old, but the Eagles sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.

Central got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Tazhir Webber out in front who posted 20 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Crowder, who scored 19 points.

Meanwhile, Anson's undefeated season came to an end after six games on Friday. They fell just short of Chesterfield by a score of 58-55. The contest marked the Bearcats' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Central will have to contain Amari Ingram as he made an impact in Anson's last game. He went 5 of 9 on his way to 14 points. Ingram has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jamaal Griffin, who put up 11 points.

Even though they lost, Anson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 23 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Central pushed their record up to 4-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.0 points per game. As for Anson, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Central beat Anson 73-63 in their previous matchup back in December of 2022. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Anson's Ryan Robinson, who went 8 of 14 on his way to 20 points in addition to eight boards and three steals. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for Central to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.