The Upper Scioto Valley Rams will venture away from home to take on the North Baltimore Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Upper Scioto Valley is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Pandora-Gilboa on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Rams were outmatched by the Rockets and fell 54-17. The Rams were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-7.
The losing side was boosted by Layla Hunsicker, who posted eight points and three steals.
Meanwhile, North Baltimore strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They came within six points of losing the streak, but they secured a 50-44 W against Ottawa Hills.
Upper Scioto Valley better keep an eye on Lacie Allison. She was instrumental in North Baltimore's win, dropping a double-double with 27 points and ten rebounds. Allison has been hot for a while, having posted 16 or more points the last 30 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Josselyn Paynter, who put up eight points and eight boards.
North Baltimore smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.
Upper Scioto Valley's loss dropped their record down to 1-6. As for North Baltimore, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Upper Scioto Valley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24 rebounds per game. However, it's not like North Baltimore struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Upper Scioto Valley couldn't quite get it done against North Baltimore in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 as they fell 63-55. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Allison, who went 13-for-22 to rack up 30 points and eight rebounds. Now that the Rams know the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
