Basketball Game Preview: Neenah Rockets vs. Appleton East Patriots

The Neenah Rockets are taking a road trip to challenge the Appleton East Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Neenah was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 62-58 to Kaukauna.

Meanwhile, Appleton East had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.7 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They blew past the Spartans, posting a 65-24 victory. That looming 65-24 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Patriots yet this season.

Appleton East has also been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 9-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Neenah, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-7.

Neenah was able to grind out a solid win over Appleton East in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, winning 75-65. The rematch might be a little tougher for Neenah since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.