The Berea-Midpark Titans will head out on the road to take on the Elyria Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Berea-Midpark's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last five contests.
In what's become a running theme this season, Berea-Midpark gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. They really took it to Olmsted Falls for the full four quarters, racking up a 73-43 win at home. Given Berea-Midpark's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 94th, while Olmsted Falls is ranked 391st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Berea-Midpark got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Austin Clay out in front who scored ten points along with seven rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Dylan (diggy) Maddox, who scored ten points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Elyria scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Midview with a sharp 74-54 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Elyria has posted against Midview since December 23, 2017.
Elyria's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Cam Bell led the charge by scoring 15 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Bell has scored all season. Jayden Crutcher was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with six rebounds.
Berea-Midpark pushed their record up to 9-2 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.3 points per game. As for Elyria, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 7-4.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Berea-Midpark have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 36 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Elyria, though, as they've been averaging only 27.7 rebounds per game. Given Berea-Midpark's sizeable advantage in that area, Elyria will need to find a way to close that gap.
Berea-Midpark ended up a good deal behind Elyria in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, losing 87-73. Can Berea-Midpark avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
