Basketball Game Preview: Dufur Rangers vs. Heppner Mustangs

The Dufur Rangers will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Heppner Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Last Friday, Dufur was beaten by Nixyaawii Community 72-22. The Rangers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Heppner lost to Kennedy on the road by a 47-32 margin on Saturday. The Mustangs have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Heppner's defeat dropped their record down to 6-5. As for Dufur, their loss ended an 11-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 4-2.

Dufur didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Heppner when the teams last played two weeks ago, but they still walked away with a 47-41 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Dufur since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.