Basketball Game Preview: Triad Knights vs. Centralia Orphans

Triad is 0-5 against Centralia since December of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Triad Knights will challenge the Centralia Orphans at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Triad comes in on seven and Centralia on five.

Triad is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 43-27 win over Mt. Vernon.

Meanwhile, Centralia posted their closest victory since January 24th on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against East St. Louis, sneaking past 46-43. Given the Orphans' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while the Flyers are ranked 132nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Triad's win bumped their record up to 28-6. As for Centralia, they pushed their record up to 29-4 with the victory, which was their 18th straight at home.

Triad came up short against Centralia when the teams last played back in January of 2023, falling 51-39. Can Triad avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.