Basketball Game Preview: Lebanon Tigers vs. Clinton Central Bulldogs

The Lebanon Tigers are taking a road trip to square off against the Clinton Central Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Saturday, Lebanon opened the new year with a less-than-successful 45-37 defeat to Harrison. The Tigers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Claire Boling, who posted seven points in addition to five assists and five steals. That's the most assists she has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ali Bir, who put up eight points.

Meanwhile, Clinton Central came tearing into Saturday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 25.5 points) and they left with even more momentum. They slipped by the Braves 48-47.

Clinton Central's win came from a few key players Lebanon will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Emily Long, who went 6 of 10 on her way to 12 points and eight rebounds. She is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Carly Davison, who had 13 points along with six assists and five boards.

Clinton Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. As for Lebanon, they now have a losing record at 7-8.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lebanon has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 23.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Clinton Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Lebanon suffered a grim 60-34 defeat to Clinton Central in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can Lebanon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.