The Smith Center Redmen will face off against the Oakley Plainsmen at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Smith Center is hoping to put an end to a 12-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Saturday, it was a hard-fought match, but Smith Center had to settle for a 52-49 loss against Thomas More Prep-Marian. Smith Center has struggled against Thomas More Prep-Marian recently, as their matchup on Saturday was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Smith Center saw an underclassman step up: Reed Doane scored 16 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Doane has scored all season. Joel Fagan was another key contributor, scoring five points along with three steals.
Even though Oakley has not done well against Trego recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Oakley walked away with a 50-42 win over Trego. The win was just what Oakley needed coming off of a 65-31 loss in their prior match.
Smith Center's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Oakley, their victory ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-7.
Everything went Smith Center's way against Oakley when the teams last played back in December of 2023 as Smith Center made off with a 74-51 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Smith Center since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
