Basketball Game Preview: Van Buren Crusaders vs. Central Aroostook Panthers

Van Buren is 0-7 against Central Aroostook since December of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Van Buren Crusaders will head out to face off against the Central Aroostook Panthers at 7:00 p.m.

Van Buren is headed into Friday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 18th straight game dating back to last season on Wednesday. They had to suffer through a 74-35 loss at the hands of Southern Aroostook.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Central Aroostook). They blew past Southern Aroostook 85-57 on Monday. The victory was familiar territory for the Panthers who have now won five matchups in a row.

Central Aroostook pushed their record up to 8-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.8 points per game. As for Van Buren, their loss dropped their record down to 0-16.

Van Buren took a serious blow against Central Aroostook when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 69-32. Can Van Buren avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.