TEC Boys Basketball Preview 2-1-16

tec wall at union coThe last two unbeaten teams in the Tri-Eastern Conference boys basketball race are set to square off this week in Hagerstown.

Northeastern (13-3, 2-0), last week’s Class 2A No. 3 team, faces the Tigers (12-5, 5-0) on Thursday night in a fight for supremacy in the league.

“Seems like we always play them tough for about three and a half quarters,” Hagerstown Head Coach Bobby Jones said. “Then we get complacent on defense and we allow them to attack us.”

“We just need to put four quarters together against them,” Jones added. “It’s going to be a typical Hagerstown-Northeastern battle.”

This is the second time this season the two squads have met on Hagerstown’s home court.

“It’s a tough task,” Northeastern Head Coach Brent Ross said. “When you go, in this conference, on the road with the great coaches that we have, you’ve got to be ready to play.”

Northeastern defeated Hagerstown 58-52 in the Wayne County Tournament championship game on Jan. 9. The Knights have won seven straight against the Tigers, who last beat Northeastern (56-53) on Feb. 3, 2012.

First TEC Game of Week

Winchester (10-5, 2-2) visits Centerville (3-10, 0-3) in the initial TEC match-up of the week in the lone contest on Wednesday night as the Falcons are looking for their sixth straight win.

On Thursday, Union County (11-6, 3-1) travels to Lincoln (7-8, 1-3) for the third conference affair of the week.

That same night, Eastern Hancock (4-11) is at Tri (5-10), while Union City (7-8) goes to Class 1A No. 3 Seton (16-3). Winchester is at Monroe Central (8-10) in a contest of Randolph County rivals.

The week finishes with a pair of afternoon games on Saturday. Centerville is at Connersville (13-5) and Class 2A No. 4 Shenandoah (14-1) is at Lincoln.