Basketball Game Preview: Marshall Tigers vs. Mankato West Scarlets

The Marshall Tigers will challenge the Mankato West Scarlets at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Marshall has three straight wins, Mankato West has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

While Marshall didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They enjoyed a cozy 74-55 victory over Delano on Friday.

Meanwhile, Mankato West and Mankato East faced off in a cross-town battle on Saturday. Mankato West might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 80-43 to Mankato East, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. While losing is never fun, the Scarlets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 296th, while the Cougars are ranked ninth).

Mankato West's defeat dropped their record down to 3-10. As for Marshall, their win bumped their record up to 10-4.

Marshall took a serious blow against Mankato West in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 88-54. Will Marshall have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.