Lafayette Central Catholic has been on the road for three straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Peru Tigers at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Lafayette Central Catholic scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They strolled past Benton Central with points to spare, taking the game 66-49. Given Lafayette Central Catholic's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 96th, while Benton Central is ranked 240th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lafayette Central Catholic's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ray Clayton, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Clayton has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mikey Stapleton, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Peru's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They ended up on the wrong side of a rough 88-68 walloping at the hands of Maconaquah. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Peru has suffered since December 1, 2023.
The match pitted two dominant players against one another in Matthew Roettger and Josiah Ball. Ball had a great game and scored 30 points along with eight assists and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Roettger was balling out in the loss, scoring 20 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Lafayette Central Catholic pushed their record up to 8-2 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.8 points per game. As for Peru, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Lafayette Central Catholic have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 46% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Peru struggles in that department as they've nailed 41.5% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
