Basketball Game Preview: Simmons Blue Devils vs. Cleveland Central Wolves

The Simmons Blue Devils and the Cleveland Central Wolves will round out the year against one another at at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Simmons has struggled recently with 11 losses in a row, while Cleveland Central will arrive with four straight victories.

Last Friday, Simmons came up short against Leflore County and fell 69-56. While losing is never fun, the Blue Devils can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 261st, while the Tigers are ranked 94th).

The losing side was boosted by Carl Lucas Jr., who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down 12 or more in the last three games he's played. Lebron Morris was another key player, going 5 of 6 on his way to 10 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Simmons 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 11 offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Central hadn't done well against Yazoo City recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Cleveland Central sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 41-38 win over Yazoo City. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wolves have posted since November 21st.

Cleveland Central's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-3. As for Simmons, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.