The Belleville West Maroons just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Lincoln Railsplitters at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Belleville West barely beat Mt. Zion the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Maroons blew past the Braves 62-33 on Friday. The victory was just business as usual for the Maroons, who after three games remain undefeated this season.
J'Dyn Lloyd went supernova, shooting 50% from the field en route to 19 points. Micah May was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to five assists and five rebounds.
Belleville West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.
Meanwhile, Lincoln got the win against Danville on Friday by a conclusive 55-34. The win continues a trend for the Railsplitters in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now won seven in a row.
Belleville West better focus on containing Karson Komnick and Brody Tungate as the pair were huge in Lincoln's win. Komnick went 9-for-12 on his way to 23 points along with six boards and three steals, while Tungate shot 54% from the field to rack up 19 points in addition to five assists and four steals. Komnick's big performance that evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least 16 points. Another player making a difference was Breon McKinnie, who posted six points.
Belleville West's record now sits at 3-0. As for Lincoln, their record is now an identical 3-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest-scoring teams around. Belleville West hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 59.7 points per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 57.7 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can put up more.
Belleville West came up short against Lincoln in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 37-33. Can the Maroons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
