Basketball Game Preview: Jefferson Lions vs. Willamina Bulldogs

The Jefferson Lions are taking a road trip to challenge the Willamina Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Jefferson is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Last Wednesday, Jefferson didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Santiam Christian, but they still walked away with a 50-45 victory. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Oregon basketball rankings (they are ranked 30th, while the Eagles are ranked 164th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Willamina was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 52-48 to St. Paul. The Bulldogs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Jefferson pushed their record up to 15-4 with the win, which was their 20th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.0 points per game. As for Willamina, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-10.

Everything went Jefferson's way against Willamina in their previous meeting on January 7th, as Jefferson made off with a 63-42 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Jefferson since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.