The Columbus North Bull Dogs will square off against the Terre Haute North Vigo Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
While Columbus North didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against Terre Haute South Vigo by a score of 57-47 on Saturday. Given the Bull Dogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 38th, while the Braves are ranked 158th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/04/25 vs Terre Haute South Vigo | 10 |
| 02/24/24 @ Terre Haute South Vigo | 8 |
| 12/28/23 @ Batesville | 6 |
| 01/29/24 vs Whiteland | 6 |
| 02/19/24 @ Bloomington North | 6 |
It was another big night for Caleb Ferguson, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in boards. Austin Perry was another key player, putting up eight points along with five assists and five steals.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Terre Haute North Vigo, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They took down Evansville Memorial 63-47 on Saturday.
Columbus North better keep an eye on Cam Fennell. He was instrumental in Terre Haute North Vigo's win, going 7 of 14 on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds. Fennell continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryce Renn, who posted eight points in addition to ten rebounds and six blocks.
Terre Haute North Vigo's win was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.3 points per game. As for Columbus North, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Columbus North has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 23.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Terre Haute North Vigo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Columbus North came up short against Terre Haute North Vigo in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, falling 44-38. Can Columbus North avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
