North Decatur is 1-9 against Batesville since January of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The North Decatur Chargers will look to defend their home court against the Batesville Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, North Decatur narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Morristown 45-43.
| 01/24/25 @ Morristown | 8 |
| 01/18/25 vs Lawrenceburg | 11 |
| 01/17/25 @ South Decatur | 8 |
North Decatur's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brady Mauer, who posted 11 points and eight boards. Mauer is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Owen Eldridge, who made all 5 shots he took to post 10 points.
Meanwhile, Batesville waltzed into their contest on Saturday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They breezed by the Spartans to the tune of 61-33. That 28 point margin sets a new team best for the Bulldogs this season.
Batesville's win came from a few key players North Decatur will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was James Hughes, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten boards. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in steals (four). Cade Kaiser was another key player, going 5 of 7 on his way to 14 points along with six assists and three steals.
Batesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.
The win got Batesville back to even at 7-7. As for North Decatur, their victory bumped their record up to 6-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Decatur has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Batesville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 20.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Decatur might still be hurting after the 67-46 defeat they got from Batesville in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kaiser, who went 7 for 9 en route to 21 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Now that North Decatur knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
