The Batavia Bulldogs will head out on the road to challenge the New Richmond Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Batavia knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past four matches -- so hopefully New Richmond likes a good challenge.
Batavia was handed a three-point defeat in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Norwood on Saturday. Batavia blew past Norwood 63-38. Given Batavia's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 340th, while Norwood is ranked 807th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, New Richmond's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fourth straight loss. They took a hard 61-47 fall against Hughes. New Richmond found out winning isn't easy when you're outrebounded 14 to 7 on offense.
The losing side was boosted by Rylan Utter, who scored 30 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season.
Batavia's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-7. As for New Richmond, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.
Batavia was able to grind out a solid victory over New Richmond in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 75-64. The rematch might be a little tougher for Batavia since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
