Preview: Norton Bluejays vs. Smith Center Redmen
Norton is 9-1 against Smith Center since December of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Norton Bluejays will head out on the road to square off against the Smith Center Redmen at 7:00 p.m. Norton will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
Last Tuesday, Norton beat Decatur Community 45-38. Given Norton's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 77th, while Decatur Community is ranked 331st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Roman Hauser, who shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyce Melvin, who scored eight points along with nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Smith Center beat Superior 58-52 on Monday.
Smith Center's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Daveyon Orr led the charge by shooting 6-for-7 from downtown and dropping a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time this season that Orr pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Tegan McKenzie, who scored seven points along with six blocks and five rebounds.
Norton pushed their record up to 13-3 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.3 points per game. As for Smith Center, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a massive bump to their 7-9 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Norton have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Smith Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Norton strolled past Smith Center in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 by a score of 47-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for Norton since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
