Basketball Game Preview: Cotopaxi Pirates vs. Miami-Yoder Buffaloes

After both having extra time off, the Cotopaxi Pirates and the Miami-Yoder Buffaloes will dust off their jerseys to face off against one another at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cotopaxi is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50 points per game this season.

Two weeks ago, Cotopaxi came up short against Evangel Christian Academy and fell 54-43. The loss continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost seven in a row.

Despite their defeat, Cotopaxi saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kenny Teter, who posted eight points in addition to eight blocks and seven boards, was perhaps the best of all. Teter has been hot recently, having posted four or more blocks the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Joel Tezak, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 12 points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Miami-Yoder beat Kit Carson 47-40 back in December of 2024. That's two games straight that the Buffaloes have won by exactly seven points.

Miami-Yoder's win came from a few key players Cotopaxi will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jel Wallerstedt, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 16 rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Howard, who put up 13 points along with five boards and four steals.

Miami-Yoder smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.

Miami-Yoder's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Cotopaxi, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Cotopaxi has been crazy accurate this season, having made 49.1% of their field goals per game. It's a different story for Miami-Yoder, though, as they've only made 28.6% of their shots this season. Given Cotopaxi's sizable advantage in that area, Miami-Yoder will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.