The O'Neill Eagles will finish 2023 at home by hosting the North Central Knights at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. O'Neill is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 65-32, which was the final score in O'Neill's tilt against Crofton on Tuesday. O'Neill has struggled against Crofton recently, as their contest on Tuesday was their ninth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the defeat, O'Neill had strong showings from Hannah Hilker, who scored 14 points, and Lauryn Dusatko, who scored five points along with nine rebounds. Hilker scored a full 43.8% of O'Neill's points, the sixth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
O'Neill struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, North Central scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They walked away with a 56-43 win over Gregory. The victory was just what North Central needed coming off of a 72-41 loss in their prior game.
North Central's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Morgan Lewis, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Lewis scored 15 or more points. Adisyn Anderson was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five assists and three steals.
O'Neill has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season. As for North Central, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: O'Neill have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 22.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like North Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 30.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
O'Neill came up short against North Central in their previous meeting back in December of 2021, falling 44-40. Thankfully for O'Neill, Jenna Hallock (who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and four blocks) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
