Basketball Game Preview: Belton Pirates vs. Truman Patriots

The Belton Pirates will square off against the Truman Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Belton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56 points per game this season.

Last Friday, Belton ended up a good deal behind Raytown and lost 67-53. While losing is never fun, the Pirates can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Missouri basketball rankings (they are ranked 197th, while the Bluejays are ranked 17th).

Despite the loss, Belton saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Caleb Campbell posted 13 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayce Maiden, who put up ten points and seven boards.

Even though they lost, Belton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Truman, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They escaped with a win on Friday against Smithville by the margin of a single free throw, 64-63.

Belton has also been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.8 points per game. As for Truman, their victory bumped their record up to 12-9.

Belton came up short against Truman in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 56-52. Will Belton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.