After two games on the road, Center is heading back home. They will take on the Lake County Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Neither Center nor Lake County posted many points in their last games, so it might be the defenses that decide this one.
Last Friday, Center came up short against Del Norte and fell 33-25. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Center has scored all season.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Alicia Rios, who scored 12 points along with two steals. She hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Dulce Palma, who scored six points along with three blocks.
Meanwhile, this season hasn't been kind to Lake County, who are still winless after their seventh matchup. They were outmatched by Bennett on the road and fell 68-9. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Lake County in their matchups with Bennett: they've now lost seven in a row.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Lake County struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only an offensive rebound. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Center's loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 5-4. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 29.7 points per game. As for Lake County, their loss dropped their record down to 0-7.
Thursday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Center have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 34.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Lake County, though, as they've been averaging only 25.6 rebounds per game. Given Center's sizeable advantage in that area, Lake County will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Center against Lake County in their previous meeting back in December of 2022 as the team secured a 58-30 win. Does Center have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lake County turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
