Basketball Game Preview: Andover Trojans vs. Salina Central Mustangs

Andover and Salina Central are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2021, but not for long. The Andover Trojans will take on the Salina Central Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Andover will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.

Andover saw some tournament action on Saturday. They came out on top against Buhler by a score of 61-48. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while the Crusaders are ranked 72nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Andover's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Bella Bouddhara, who posted 20 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. Those three blocks gave Bouddhara a new career-high. Aliyah Green was another key player, dropping a double-double on 18 points and 11 boards.

Andover 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 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Salina Central blew past Abilene, posting a 58-30 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.

Andover pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.6 points per game. As for Salina Central, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a massive bump to their 6-5 record this season.

Andover took their win against Salina Central in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 61-39. The rematch might be a little tougher for Andover since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.