Basketball Game Preview: Hartford Central Tanagers vs. North Warren Central Cougars

The Hartford Central Tanagers are taking a road trip to challenge the North Warren Central Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hartford Central has three straight victories, North Warren Central has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Hartford Central will head into Tuesday's match having proved themselves against Lake George: Hartford Central took a 23-point defeat the last time they faced off against Lake George, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Hartford Central sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 62-60 win over Lake George on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tanagers have posted since February 12, 2024.

Hartford Central found their leader in sophomore Audrey Fiske, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 16 boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Fiske has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Silver Stewart, who posted eight points.

Hartford Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 32 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, North Warren Central played a tough game on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 41-10 loss at the hands of Whitehall. The match marked the Cougars' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Hartford Central has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.0 points per game. As for North Warren Central, they now have a losing record at 3-4.

Everything came up roses for Hartford Central against North Warren Central when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the squad secured a 69-19 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hartford Central since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.