Basketball Game Preview: Orting Cardinals vs. Franklin Pierce Cardinals

Orting is 0-10 against Franklin Pierce since January of 2019 but things could change on Saturday. Having just played yesterday, the Orting Cardinals will get right back to it and host the Franklin Pierce Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Orting is headed into Saturday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They lost to Olympic on the road by a 63-49 margin. The contest marked the Cardinals' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Meanwhile, Franklin Pierce came up short against Sammamish on Monday and fell 62-50.

Orting will need focus on slowing down Javon Barbee, one of several Franklin Pierce players who made an impact when they last played. He dropped a double-double on 18 points and 15 boards. That was a full 36% of Franklin Pierce's points, marking the seventh time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Hakeen Collins, who put up 15 points and eight rebounds.

Even though they lost, Franklin Pierce smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 29 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in ten consecutive games dating back to last season.

Franklin Pierce's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Orting, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.

Orting took a serious blow against Franklin Pierce when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 80-39. Can Orting avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.