Preview: Chagrin Falls Tigers vs. Orange Lions
Chagrin Falls is 9-1 against Orange since February of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Chagrin Falls Tigers will be home for the holidays to greet the Orange Lions at 7:00 p.m. Chagrin Falls is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'.
Last Wednesday, Chagrin Falls was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 53-48 to West Geauga. While losing is never fun, Chagrin Falls can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 603rd, while West Geauga is ranked 111th).
Despite their defeat, Chagrin Falls saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Aiden Beresford, who scored eight points along with nine rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. That's the first time this season that Beresford pulled down eight or more rebounds. Evan Castelluccio was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Orange was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Saturday as they fell 47-43 to West Geauga. Orange has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Orange's defeat came about despite a quality game from Dominic Anekwe, who scored 20 points along with nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ernie Pryor, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds.
Chagrin Falls' defeat dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Orange, their loss dropped their record down to 1-6.
Keep an eye on the arc in Wednesday's contest: Chagrin Falls have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 7 threes per game. It's a different story for Orange, though, as they've been averaging only 3.1 threes per game. Given Chagrin Falls' sizeable advantage in that area, Orange will need to find a way to close that gap.
Chagrin Falls strolled past Orange when the teams last played back in January by a score of 61-46. Will Chagrin Falls repeat their success, or does Orange have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
