The Clinton Prairie Gophers will venture away from home to face off against the Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Clinton Prairie took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 52-34 win over Tri-Central. That 18 point margin sets a new team best for the Gophers this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Clinton Prairie to victory, but perhaps none more so than Abbey Swan, who went 8 for 14 on her way to 20 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Hyleigh Wilson, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 13 points in addition to seven steals and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Lafayette Jefferson came tearing into Tuesday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Raiders by a score of 39-29. Given the Bronchos' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Raiders are ranked 175th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Clinton Prairie better keep an eye on Maya Layton. She was instrumental in Lafayette Jefferson's win, dropping a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds. Layton has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Another player making a difference was Da'Niyah Johnson, who posted six points and three steals.
Lafayette Jefferson's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.3 points per game. As for Clinton Prairie, with the win, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 4-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Clinton Prairie has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Lafayette Jefferson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Clinton Prairie came up short against Lafayette Jefferson in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 46-38. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Lafayette Jefferson's Shaylee Barrett, who almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine rebounds. Now that Clinton Prairie knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
