Basketball Game Preview: Northland Vikings vs. Linden-McKinley Panthers

The Northland Vikings will venture away from home to square off against the Linden-McKinley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Northland has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.

Last Friday, Northland didn't have too much trouble with Beechcroft as they won 72-55. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 239th, while the Cougars are ranked 538th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Nehemiah McMorris was his usual excellent self, going 11 for 17 on his way to 29 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden Shoultz, who posted 16 points.

Northland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Linden-McKinley suffered their biggest loss since November 27, 2024 on Saturday. They came up short against Hamilton Township, falling 63-37.

Northland pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.3 points per game. As for Linden-McKinley, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.

Northland came up short against Linden-McKinley in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 49-37. Can Northland avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.