Basketball Game Preview: Mercer Island Islanders vs. Bothell Cougars

The Mercer Island Islanders will face off against the Bothell Cougars at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Mercer Island lost 78-53 to Lake Washington on Wednesday. While losing is never fun, the Islanders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Washington basketball rankings (they are ranked 121st, while the Kangaroos are ranked third).

Meanwhile, Bothell had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They blew past the Highlanders 66-20. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 22 points or more this season.

Mercer Island better keep an eye on Charlotte Lipkin. She was instrumental in Bothell's win, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 11 rebounds. Lipkin's evening made it nine games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points.

Bothell's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-4. As for Mercer Island, they have also been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.

Mercer Island suffered a grim 74-52 defeat to Bothell when the teams last played back in December of 2024. Will Mercer Island have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.