Lions Look to Stay Rolling as Anna-Jonesboro Comes to Town

The Carterville Lions are back at home tonight with the Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats coming to town.

Tip time is set for later this evening, with pregame coverage starting at 7:30 PM on NewsRadio WJPF. John Homan and I will have the call.

Carterville enters the night 22-3, and they’ve earned every bit of that record. This group has been steady all season, and the numbers back it up: the Lions are scoring 64.1 points per game while holding opponents to 50.3.That’s a +13.8 scoring margin — the kind that travels, and the kind that wins in February.

Offensively, the Lions get it done with balance, not just one hot hand. They shoot 48.0% from the floor and finish possessions well, with a strong offensive rhythm that shows up in that overall efficiency of 1.06 points per possession. In plain English: they usually get a good look, and they usually make you pay for a mistake.

The Lions also win with toughness. They rebound their share of misses and protect the ball well enough to stay in control, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio around 1.23 as a team. When Carterville plays clean, they’re hard to speed up — and even harder to knock off their spot.

Individually, there’s firepower all over the lineup. Colton Hawkins leads the way at 15.6 points per game, with Maddox Gulley at 12.0, Harper Lustenberger at 10.8, and Zach Conder-Snow also at 10.8. That’s four guys in double figures, which is basically the basketball version of bringing four hot sauces to the cookout.

Anna-Jonesboro comes in 12-14, and they’ll be hungry to spoil a road night in Carterville. For the Lions, the mission is simple: defend, rebound, and turn good possessions into great ones. If Carterville plays to its identity — efficient offense and steady defense — it’ll be a long night for the Wildcats.

So, pack the gym, grab your favorite lucky sweatshirt, and let’s do this thing.

Pregame starts at 7:30 PM on NewsRadio WJPF, with John Homan and me on the call. Carterville’s rolling — and tonight’s another chance to prove why.