Basketball Game Preview: Chatham Central Bears vs. Northwood Chargers

Chatham Central is 0-3 against Northwood since January of 2024 but things could change on Thursday. The Chatham Central Bears are taking a road trip to challenge the Northwood Chargers at 8:00 p.m. Chatham Central is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.

Last Wednesday, Chatham Central didn't have too much trouble with Cedar Ridge as they won 56-41. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 160th, while the Fighting Red Wolves are ranked 439th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Chatham Central's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Reid Albright, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten boards, and Brennen Oldham, who went 6 of 13 on his way to 15 points in addition to eight boards and seven assists. The contest was Albright's eighth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Gaines, who posted seven points and three steals.

Chatham Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 13 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, everything went Northwood's way against Seaforth on Thursday as Northwood made off with a 62-37 win. The Chargers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 games by 25 points or more this season.

Chatham Central's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.5 points per game. As for Northwood, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 13-2.

Chatham Central suffered a grim 75-51 defeat to Northwood in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Thankfully for Chatham Central, Drake Powell (who went 6 of 7 on his way to 14 points along with eight boards and six assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.