Make no mistake, this Rend Lake team is far more than what their record shows. The team suffered an eight-game losing streak in the middle of the season but those losses were as close as you could get. The Lakers will enjoy playing at home as the team looks to stretch their winning streak to three games but Rend Lake is going to make it a challenge. 

Here is the preview for tonight’s game. 

Team Records: Lake Land (11-8, 2-5) vs. Rend Lake (5-10, 2-5)

Where: Laker Fieldhouse

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the door. 

Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.

Opponent’s Past Results: Rend Lake has several familiar opponents as Lake Land. The team began the season with an 82-75 win over Illinois Central College. That was followed by an 86-83 overtime loss to John Wood. After that, the team defeated Lincoln Land 79-69. Rend Lake then lost eight consecutive games. That included losses to the following schools: 

Lincoln Trail – 67-60

Parkland – 76-72 OT

Southwestern – 72-68 OT

John Wood – 71-61

Wabash Valley – 72-67

Kaskaskia – 66-59

Sanville Area – 66-52

Lincoln Land – 73-68

The team has since won three of their last four games. That includes a 91-88 double overtime win over Olney, a 67-54 win over Spoon River, and a 78-68 win over Shawnee. The team lost to John A. Logan 85-55 on Monday. 

Rend Lake’s Top Players: The team appears to have lost former starter Cawhan Smith to injury. Smith was averaging 13.8 points and has played in just six games this season. The team features four other double-digit scorers. Former Effingham All-Apollo forward Nathan Thompson is a sophomore for the team, averaging 1.3 points per game. 

Opponent’s Potential Starting Lineup

G; Jackson Creel, 6-foot-4 sophomore: 15.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG

G: Blake McVay, 6-foot-2 sophomore: 13.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG

G: Carson Prost, 6-foot-3 sophomore: 12.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

F: Brenna Lovette, 6-foot-6 freshman: 11.3 PPG, 5.7 RG, 1.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

C: Joe Melton, 6-foot-7 sophomore: 5.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Lake Land’s Past Results: Since defeating Illinois Central College 91-65 to start the new year, the team has lost to John A. Logan 97-63 but has rattled off two straight wins. That includes a 97-70 win over Southeastern and a 77-69 win over Lincoln Trail College on Monday. 

Lake Land’s Recent Starting Lineup

G: Arnardo Camacho, 6-foot-4 sophomore: 8.1 PPG,4.7 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG

G: Johnny Close, 6-foot-4 sophomore: 13.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG

G: Dailliss Cox, 6-foot-6 sophomore: 12.1  PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

F: Amar Kuljuhovic, 6-foot-9 sophomore: 12.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.2 APG< 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG

F: Yassen Hussein, 6-foot-9 sophomore: 14.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.9 BPG