Two dominant forwards in Jordan Gray and Jace Litten are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The North Eugene Highlanders will be playing at home against the Churchill Lancers at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, North Eugene strolled past Ashland with points to spare, taking the game 56-40. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Highlanders.
North Eugene got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Gray out in front who posted 21 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Robinson, who went 5-for-8 en route to 13 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, Churchill entered their tilt with Lake Oswego on Tuesday with two consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with three. They came within a single point of losing the streak, but they secured a 62-61 W against the Lakers.
North Eugene better keep an eye on Ty Read. He was instrumental in Churchill's win, dropping a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards. They are 10-4 when Read posts eight or more rebounds, but 1-4 otherwise. Litten was another key player, going 5-for-11 to rack up 13 points and six boards.
Churchill smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Churchill's victory bumped their record up to 11-8. As for North Eugene, their win bumped their record up to 13-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Eugene hasn't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 9.1 turnovers per game. However, it's not like Churchill struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 9.1 turnovers. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
North Eugene was able to grind out a solid victory over Churchill when the teams last played back in January, winning 63-56. Will North Eugene repeat their success, or does Churchill have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
