The North Eugene Highlanders will take on the North Medford Black Tornado in a holiday battle at at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. North Eugene has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 184 points over their last three contests.
If North Eugene beats North Medford with 58 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. North Eugene walked away with a 58-49 win over Putnam on Tuesday.
North Eugene's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was D'Mariyae Ireland, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Robinson, who posted 12 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Medford, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They slipped by McNary 48-47 on Tuesday.
North Eugene better keep an eye on Easton Curtis. He was instrumental in North Medford's win, going 6 of 13 on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds. Curtis' evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Scott, who put up 11 points.
North Medford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
North Eugene's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.0 points per game. As for North Medford, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Eugene has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like North Medford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Eugene beat North Medford 66-53 in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Does North Eugene have another victory up their sleeve, or will North Medford turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
