After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Tuscola, the Meridian Hawks were happy to have found some success on Saturday. They enjoyed a cozy 57-41 win over Neoga. Given Meridian's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 289th, while Neoga is ranked 634th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Meridian to victory were Sebastian Hill and Lleyton Miller. Hill dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds, while Miller scored 16 points along with four steals. Another player making a difference was Paul Ralston, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds.
Meridian's win bumped their record up to 16-12. As for Neoga, they are on a nine-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-21.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Meridian will take on Shelbyville at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Shelbyville knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully Meridian likes a good challenge. As for Neoga, they will be playing at home against Tuscola at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Tuscola has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
