Lawrence North and Ben Davis are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The Lawrence North Wildcats are taking a road trip to square off against the Ben Davis Giants at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Lawrence North knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past six matchups -- so hopefully Ben Davis likes a good challenge.
Lawrence North will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Carmel, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Lawrence North blew past Carmel 62-37 on Thursday. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked fourth, while the Greyhounds are ranked 33rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Brennan Miller
| 02/06/25 vs Carmel | 23 |
| 01/13/24 @ Franklin Central | 22 |
| 01/04/25 vs Jeffersonville | 19 |
| 01/03/25 vs Marion | 19 |
| 02/20/24 vs Hamilton Southeastern | 17 |
Brennan Miller was his usual excellent self, shooting 5-for-6 from long range and dropping a double-double with 23 points and 12 boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kai McGrew, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Lawrence North smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 17 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ben Davis, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They walked away with a 67-55 victory over Pike on Thursday.
Ben Davis' win came from a few key players Lawrence North will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jashawn Ladd, who went 7 for 13 en route to 19 points and three steals. He is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 45% in the last eight games he's played. Tavion Williams was another key player, dropping a double-double with ten points and 12 boards.
Ben Davis' win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-5. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.4 points over those games. As for Lawrence North, their record now sits at 14-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lawrence North has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ben Davis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lawrence North came up short against Ben Davis in their previous matchup back in January, falling 59-55. Can Lawrence North avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
