Preview: Eldon Mustangs vs. Lebanon Yellowjackets
Eldon has been on the road for two straight, but on Monday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Lebanon Yellowjackets at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Hopefully Eldon is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Lebanon in Missouri (Eldon is ranked 144th, while Lebanon is ranked 401st).
Last Wednesday, Eldon lost to California on the road by a decisive 67-53 margin.
Despite the defeat, Eldon got a solid performance out of Sydney Halderman, who scored 16 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. Halderman has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Zoe Martonfi was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with 14 rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Lebanon had to endure a seven-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Everything went their way against Parkview on Thursday as Lebanon made off with a 55-29 win. That looming 55-29 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Lebanon yet this season.
Lebanon's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Bodie Cox led the charge by scoring 14 points along with seven assists and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Myers, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 17 rebounds.
Eldon's loss dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Lebanon, their win ended a four-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-9.
Keep an eye on the arc in Monday's contest: Eldon have been dynamite from deep this season, having only nailed 36.4% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Lebanon, though, as they've only nailed 34.7% of their threes per game this season. Given Eldon's sizeable advantage in that area, Lebanon will need to find a way to close that gap.
Eldon was able to grind out a solid win over Lebanon when the teams last played back in December of 2023, winning 79-70. Will Eldon repeat their success, or does Lebanon have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
