Basketball Game Preview: John Battle Trojans vs. Union Bears

John Battle hasn't had much luck against Union recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The John Battle Trojans just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Union Bears at 8:00 p.m.

John Battle is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Thursday. The game between them and Graham didn't end well, with John Battle falling 71-53. While losing is never fun, the Trojans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 319th, while the G-Men are ranked 50th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Union, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They took their contest last Wednesday with ease, bagging an 82-26 victory over Honaker. That 56 point margin sets a new team best for the Bears this season.

Union's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-1. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points per game. As for John Battle, their loss dropped their record down to 3-11.

John Battle came up short against Union when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 49-39. Can John Battle avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.