Basketball Game Preview: Ayersville Pilots vs. Wayne Trace Raiders

The Ayersville Pilots will face off against the Wayne Trace Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Ayersville is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by Continental to the tune of 51-16 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Pilots have posted since February 21, 2024.

Kendra Waldron was nothing short of spectacular: she dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten steals. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Kendyl Booher, who went 6 of 10 en route to 12 points along with six boards and three steals.

Ayersville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Wayne Trace rang in the new year with a 60-47 victory over Fairview on Monday. Given the Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 183rd, while the Apaches are ranked 452nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ayersville's win bumped their record up to 3-9. As for Wayne Trace, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-4.

Ayersville didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Wayne Trace in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 40-34 win. Does Ayersville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Wayne Trace turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.