Basketball Game Preview: North Gem Cowboys vs. Leadore Mustangs

North Gem is 8-2 against Leadore since January of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The North Gem Cowboys will take on the Leadore Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. North Gem is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.

Last Thursday, North Gem lost to Mackay at home by a 41-23 margin. While the Cowboys didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Miners 12-8 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Leadore played a tough match on Wednesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Challis, falling 61-32. The Mustangs haven't had much luck with the Vikings recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.

Despite the loss, Leadore saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Dane Piippo posted nine points along with seven rebounds and four blocks. Piippo has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last ten times he's played. Jared Ramsey was another key player, putting up six points and six boards.

North Gem's defeat dropped their record down to 6-12. As for Leadore, their loss dropped their record down to 7-11.

North Gem took a serious blow against Leadore in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 59-32. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Piippo, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Now that North Gem knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.