Preview: Champaign Central Maroons vs. Bloomington Purple Raiders
The Champaign Central Maroons will be playing at home against the Bloomington Purple Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Champaign Central suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Tuesday. They were outmatched by MacArthur at home and fell 77-43. While losing is never fun, Champaign Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 220th, while MacArthur is ranked 21st).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Aidyn Beck, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and three blocks. That's the first time this season that he posted two or more blocks. Malachi Nichols was another key contributor, scoring six points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, this season hasn't been kind to Bloomington, who are still winless after their 19th game. They took a serious blow against Lake Park on Saturday, falling 64-30. Bloomington was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-14.
The losing side was boosted by Evan Reed, who scored four points along with five assists and two steals. Another player making a difference was Carter Tindall, who scored eight points.
Champaign Central has been struggling recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-14 record this season. As for Bloomington, they dropped their record down to 0-19 with that loss, which was their tenth straight on the road.
Champaign Central came up short against Bloomington in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, falling 69-56. Will Champaign Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
