The Champaign Central Maroons will face off against the Lincoln Railsplitters at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Champaign Central is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
On Wednesday, Champaign Central came up short against Peoria and fell 48-41. While losing is never fun, the Maroons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 120th, while the Lions are ranked 30th).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lincoln, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They took their match on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 56-20 victory over Prairie Central. The game marked the Railsplitters' most dominant win of the season.
Lincoln's win came from a few key players Champaign Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Drew Hayes, who posted eight points and four steals. What's more, he also posted two blocks, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Gabe Smith was another key player, putting up ten points and six steals.
Lincoln pushed their record up to 21-9 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. As for Champaign Central, their loss dropped their record down to 14-12.
Champaign Central was dealt a bruising 55-27 defeat at the hands of Lincoln in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Champaign Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
