Basketball Game Preview: Zanesville Blue Devils vs. Lakewood Lancers

The Zanesville Blue Devils will head out on the road to face off against the Lakewood Lancers at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Zanesville is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.

Zanesville is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against John Glenn on Monday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Zanesville lost 58-38 to John Glenn. While losing is never fun, the Blue Devils can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 646th, while the Little Muskies are ranked 195th).

Despite the defeat, Zanesville saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ayawna Gladden dropped a double-double on 21 points and 17 boards. What's more, Gladden also racked up two steals, the most she's had since back in January of 2024.

Even though they lost, Zanesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Lakewood's game last Friday was all tied up 18-18 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell 47-37 to Hamilton Township. While the Lancers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Rangers 13-8 in the first quarter.

Zanesville's record now sits at 1-9. As for Lakewood, their record now sits at an identical 1-9.

Zanesville couldn't quite finish off Lakewood when the teams last played back in February of 2024 and fell 63-60. Can Zanesville avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.