The Carroll Chargers will head out on the road to challenge the Fort Wayne Snider Panthers at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Saturday, Carroll was beaten by Fishers 72-40. While losing is never fun, the Chargers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 149th, while the Tigers are ranked first).
Despite the defeat, Carroll got top-tier performance from Paxton Crane, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jack Van Order, who posted ten points.
Meanwhile, Fort Wayne Snider was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 52-46 to Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran.
Carroll will have to keep a close watch on Qualyn Clopton and Trell Hogue, a pair of players who had a big impact on Fort Wayne Snider's prior game. Clopton dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten boards, while Hogue scored 11 points and four steals. That's the most steals Hogue has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Layne Patterson, who put up five points and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Fort Wayne Snider smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
This is the second loss in a row for Carroll and nudges their season record down to 6-10. As for Fort Wayne Snider, their record is now 8-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Carroll has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Fort Wayne Snider struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Carroll came up short against Fort Wayne Snider in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 73-69. Can Carroll avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
