Basketball Game Preview: Monticello Magic vs. North Branch Vikings

The Monticello Magic will head out on the road to challenge the North Branch Vikings at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Monticello knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 18 games -- so hopefully North Branch likes a good challenge.

Monticello blew St. Francis out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday St. Francis got their revenge. Monticello fell just short of St. Francis by a score of 75-73. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Magic have suffered since December 27, 2024.

Jackson Soroko

Points

02/14/25 vs St. Francis	20
02/11/25 @ Big Lake	18
02/06/25 vs Rocori	28
02/04/25 vs Princeton	22

Despite the defeat, Monticello got top-tier performance from Jackson Soroko, who almost dropped a double-double with 20 points and nine boards. The matchup was Soroko's fourth in a row with at least 18 points. Another player making a difference was Carson Deibele, who went 5-for-9 en route to 13 points.

Even though they lost, Monticello smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 15 consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, North Branch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They took a blow against Princeton, falling 102-65.

North Branch's defeat dropped their record down to 3-19. As for Monticello, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 12-1 and their overall record down to 19-4.

Everything came up roses for Monticello against North Branch when the teams last played back in January, as the squad secured a 98-29 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monticello since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.