Basketball Game Preview: Paynesville Bulldogs vs. Minnewaska Area Lakers

The Paynesville Bulldogs will take on the Minnewaska Area Lakers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Paynesville's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last seven contests.

Last Saturday, Paynesville sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 79-76 win over Central Minnesota Christian. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Bulldogs' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 220th, while the Bluejays are ranked 60th).

Meanwhile, 2025 welcomed Minnewaska Area with a 65-41 loss courtesy of Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta on Friday. The Lakers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Paynesville's win bumped their record up to 6-4. As for Minnewaska Area, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 6-4.

Paynesville strolled past Minnewaska Area in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 65-50. Will Paynesville repeat their success, or does Minnewaska Area have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.