Basketball Game Preview: Parkland Mustangs vs. Reagan Raiders

Parkland and Reagan are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2017, but not for long. The Parkland Mustangs are taking a road trip to square off against the Reagan Raiders at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Parkland came up short against East Forsyth and fell 70-58. The loss continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost nine in a row.

Despite the defeat, Parkland got top-tier performance from Brock Jackson, who went 9 of 15 en route to 23 points and six rebounds. The contest was Jackson's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of JoShaun Williamson, who posted ten points.

Meanwhile, Reagan unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of West Forsyth by a score of 58-56. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 127th, while the Titans are ranked 34th).

Parkland will need focus on slowing down Jayden McCrae, one of several Reagan players who made an impact when they last played. He went 7 of 13 on his way to 15 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. McCrae is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lincoln Jackson, who put up 12 points and eight rebounds.

Reagan's loss dropped their record down to 7-5. As for Parkland, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.

Parkland couldn't quite finish off Reagan in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 and fell 53-51. Can Parkland avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.