Basketball Game Preview: Saratoga Panthers vs. HEM Miners

After both having extra time off, the Saratoga Panthers and the HEM Miners will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.

Saratoga will head into Friday's contest on the come-up: they were handed a heart-breaking two-point loss in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Meeteetse two weeks ago. Saratoga blew past Meeteetse, posting a 55-7 victory. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, HEM had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They claimed a resounding 48-5 win over Guernsey-Sunrise. The Miners have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 22 points or more this season.

Saratoga's victory bumped their record up to 5-2. As for HEM, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Everything came up roses for Saratoga against HEM in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, as the team secured a 50-15 win. Will Saratoga repeat their success, or does HEM have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.