Basketball Game Preview: Central Dauphin Rams vs. William Penn Bearcats

The Central Dauphin Rams will square off against the William Penn Bearcats at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Central Dauphin is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.7 points per game this season.

Central Dauphin is headed into Monday's matchup hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight losses. They were one points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 45-44 heartbreaker at the hands of State College. That's two games in a row now that the Rams have lost by just one point.

Central Dauphin's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Mikayla Matincheck, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine boards, and Olivia Green, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. Green is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kayanah Taylor, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 11 points.

Even though they lost, Central Dauphin 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 nine offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for William Penn, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They walked away with a 40-30 victory over New Oxford on Friday.

William Penn pushed their record up to 5-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Central Dauphin, their loss ended a 17-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 9-4.

Central Dauphin was able to grind out a solid victory over William Penn in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 53-42. Will Central Dauphin repeat their success, or does William Penn have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.