Basketball Game Preview: Sparta Trojans vs. Hartville Eagles

Sparta hasn't had much luck against Hartville recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Sparta Trojans will head out on the road to face off against the Hartville Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Sparta took a 35-point defeat the last time they faced off against Mansfield, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Sparta sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 56-54 win over Mansfield on Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Trojans sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.

Meanwhile, Hartville came tearing into Friday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They strolled past the Cardinals with points to spare, taking the game 61-47.

Sparta pushed their record up to 11-9 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.7 points over those games. As for Hartville, their win bumped their record up to 17-5.

Sparta came up short against Hartville in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 53-45. Can Sparta avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.