Two dominant players in Jaxson Fugate and Jalen Yates are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Fort Wayne North Side Legends are on the road again on Thursday and play against the Indianapolis Shortridge Blue Devils at 9:00 a.m. on December 28th. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Saturday, Fort Wayne North Side came up short against Fairfield and fell 54-43. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Fort Wayne North Side has scored all season.
Eugene Young Jr put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds. The match was his third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Fugate, who scored ten points.
Meanwhile, Indianapolis Shortridge's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their third straight loss. They fell to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 66-61. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Indianapolis Shortridge in their matchups with Indianapolis Bishop Chatard: they've now lost nine in a row.
Despite the defeat, Indianapolis Shortridge had strong showings from Kurt Moore, who scored 15 points along with nine rebounds, and Yates, who scored 17 points along with six rebounds. That's the first time this season that Moore pulled down eight or more rebounds. Julian DeFrantz was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with six assists.
Even though they lost, Indianapolis Shortridge were working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Fort Wayne North Side's loss dropped their record down to 7-1. As for Indianapolis Shortridge, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-5 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's contest: Fort Wayne North Side have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 44.1% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Indianapolis Shortridge, though, as they've only nailed 35.6% of their threes per game this season. Given Fort Wayne North Side's sizeable advantage in that area, Indianapolis Shortridge will need to find a way to close that gap. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
