Basketball Game Preview: Clarkson/Leigh Patriots vs. West Point-Beemer Cadets

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots and the West Point-Beemer Cadets will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Clarkson/Leigh and seven for West Point-Beemer dating back to last season.

Clarkson/Leigh is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Battle Creek on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Patriots were dealt a 64-14 loss at the hands of the Braves. The matchup marked the Patriots' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Ava Kasik was Clarkson/Leigh's leading scorer, having posted six points. Elizabeth Hoffman held things down on the boards with five rebounds.

Meanwhile, West Point-Beemer took a blow against Howells-Dodge on Tuesday, falling 59-22. The Cadets were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 29-3.

Clarkson/Leigh will have to keep a close watch on Jadyn Doggett and Kenna Hughes, a pair of players who had a big impact on West Point-Beemer's prior game. Doggett posted eight points, while Hughes earned seven points. That was a full 36.4% of West Point-Beemer's points, marking the third time in a row Doggett has scored more than a third of the team's points.

West Point-Beemer's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Clarkson/Leigh, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Clarkson/Leigh has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Point-Beemer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 21.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Clarkson/Leigh and West Point-Beemer were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in February, but Clarkson/Leigh came up empty-handed after a 38-37 defeat. Will the Patriots have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.