Basketball Game Preview: Washington Patriots vs. Jefferson Cougars

The Washington Patriots will venture away from home to face off against the Jefferson Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Washington is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Spring Mills, who was ranked first at the time (Washington was ranked tenth). Washington took a hard 61-46 fall against Spring Mills on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost eight in a row.

Meanwhile, Jefferson came up short against Martinsburg on Tuesday and fell 63-56.

Washington's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-4. As for Jefferson, their loss dropped their record down to 8-6.

Washington didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Jefferson in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, but they still walked away with a 75-69 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Washington since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.