Basketball Game Preview: Brainerd Panthers vs. CSTHEA Patriots

The Brainerd Panthers will square off against the CSTHEA Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Brainerd is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.

Brainerd saw some tournament action back in December of 2024. They fell 66-53 to Rhea County. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 319th, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 107th).

Meanwhile, CSTHEA came into Saturday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Hixson by a score of 51-40 on Saturday.

Brainerd's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for CSTHEA, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.

Things could have been worse for Brainerd, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 55-41 loss to CSTHEA in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of CSTHEA's Ryan Swanson, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine boards. Now that Brainerd knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.