The Clinton Central Bulldogs and the Northfield Norsemen will face off at 1:00 p.m. on February 10th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Clinton Central will be looking to extend their current 18-game winning streak.
Clinton Central had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They strolled past Rossville with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 48-33. Given Clinton Central's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 57th, while Rossville is ranked 226th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Sara Parkison, who scored 20 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. She hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Carly Davison, who scored seven points along with eight assists and two steals.
Meanwhile, Northfield had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Saturday. They took down Southern Wells 41-22.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Northfield to victory, but perhaps none more so than Elli Baker, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Eden Hoover, who scored 14 points along with three steals.
Clinton Central's victory bumped their record up to 23-1. As for Northfield, their win bumped their record up to 12-13.
Saturday's contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Clinton Central have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Northfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Clinton Central was taken down by Northfield 72-34 when the teams last played back in February of 2021. The game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Clinton Central was down 48-19.
