Basketball Game Preview: Clairton Bears vs. Avella Eagles

The Clairton Bears will take on the Avella Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Avella took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Clairton, who comes in off a win.

On Thursday, Clairton was able to grind out a solid victory over Bishop Canevin, taking the game 52-43. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 143rd, while the Crusaders are ranked 348th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Avella entered their match against Geibel Catholic on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Avella fell to Geibel Catholic 54-49.

Clairton's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points per game. As for Avella, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-4.

Everything came up roses for Clairton against Avella when the teams last played back in February of 2022, as the squad secured a 68-35 victory. Will Clairton repeat their success, or does Avella have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.