Basketball Game Preview: Canton Tigers vs. Balko/Forgan

The Canton Tigers will take on Balko/Forgan at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Canton will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.

Last Saturday, Canton beat Waynoka 40-28. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Oklahoma basketball rankings (they are ranked 107th, while the Railroaders are ranked 298th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Balko/Forgan had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Boise City 49-27 on Saturday. Balko/Forgan has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 20 points or more this season.

Balko/Forgan's win came from a few key players Canton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brya Appelhans, who went 5-for-10 on her way to 11 points and five rebounds. She has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Haylee Pearson was another key player, putting up seven points and five steals.

Balko/Forgan 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 matches.

Balko/Forgan pushed their record up to 18-6 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.1 points over those games. As for Canton, their record is now 19-4.