Basketball Game Preview: Bethune Bobcats vs. Arickaree Bison

Bethune hasn't had much luck against Arickaree recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bethune Bobcats just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Arickaree Bison at 7:00 p.m. After both made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

Bethune is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Deer Trail on Thursday. Bethune blew past Deer Trail 48-14.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Arickaree). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Hi-Plains 67-16. The Bison pushed the score to 58-11 by the end of the third, a deficit the Patriots had no chance of recovering from.

Arickaree's win came from a few key players Bethune will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jake King, who posted 13 points and six boards. He has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Zarron Skubal was another key player, going 7 for 12 on his way to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Arickaree was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since the start of last season.

Bethune's win ended a nine-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-5. As for Arickaree, their record now sits at 6-3.

Bethune took a serious blow against Arickaree when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 67-25. Can Bethune avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.