The North Central Thunderbirds waltzed into their match on Saturday with two straight wins but they left with three. They slipped by North Vermillion 54-53. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 16 to 8 on the offensive boards, as North Central did.
North Central's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ethan Willis, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden Hooper, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
Several Falcons players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Matthew Dawson, who scored 22 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. Jerome White was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with seven rebounds.
North Central's victory bumped their record up to 8-6. As for North Vermillion, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. North Central will square off against Bloomfield at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Bloomfield is out to stop a four-game streak of losses at home. As for North Vermillion, they will head out on the road to take on Parke Heritage at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Parke Heritage has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.
