Preview: Sparta Spartans vs. Luther Knights
Sparta has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Luther Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Tuesday, Sparta took a serious blow against Onalaska, falling 88-56. While losing is never fun, Sparta can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Wisconsin basketball rankings (they are ranked 371st, while Onalaska is ranked 44th).
Despite their loss, Sparta saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Gavin Rhead, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Kayden Kaat, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Even though they lost, Sparta were working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. This was only their 12th loss (out of 16 games) when they've passed the ball that well.
Meanwhile, Luther waltzed into their matchup on Monday with four straight wins but they left with five. They strolled past Melrose-Mindoro with points to spare, taking the game 81-67.
Sparta has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-15 record this season. As for Luther, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4.
Sparta might still be hurting after the 93-68 loss they got from Luther in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. Can Sparta avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
