Basketball Game Preview: Central Falls Warriors vs. North Smithfield Northmen

The Central Falls Warriors will take on the North Smithfield Northmen at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Central Falls is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.

Last Wednesday, Central Falls took their game with ease, bagging a 72-26 win over Block Island. The Warriors pushed the score to 54-20 by the end of the third, a deficit Block Island had no chance of recovering from.

Jamilson De Pina Almeida

Points

02/12/25 @ Block Island	15
02/10/25 @ Providence Country Day	23
02/08/25 vs Achievement First Providence	18

Central Falls' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jamilson De Pina Almeida, who dropped a double-double with 15 points and 16 boards. De Pina Almeida's afternoon made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Leandro Rojas Vargas, who posted 17 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.

Central Falls smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 27 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds every time they've taken the court this season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Smithfield, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 73-54 win over Providence Country Day on Thursday.

Central Falls pushed their record up to 10-10 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.3 points over those games. As for North Smithfield, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-10 record this season.

Central Falls didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against North Smithfield when the teams last played back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 55-49 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Central Falls since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.