Basketball Game Preview: Jonesboro Cardinals vs. Northside Patriots

Two dominant guards in Tim Prather and Xavier Davies are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. Having just played yesterday, the Jonesboro Cardinals will get right back to it and host the Northside Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Jonesboro took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Morrow 84-53. The Cardinals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 26 points or more this season.

Jonesboro relied on the efforts of Cortez Redding, who went 8 of 13 en route to 19 points along with six assists and six boards, and Prather, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. That's the most points Redding has posted since back in November of 2024. Calvin Goss was another key player, going 6 for 14 on his way to 17 points.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Northside). They were the clear victor by an 80-58 margin over Harris County on Saturday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Patriots considering their 22-point performance the match before.

Jonesboro's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-7. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.2 points per game. As for Northside, their win bumped their record up to 8-13.

Everything came up roses for Jonesboro against Northside in their previous matchup back in January, as the team secured a 90-56 victory. Does Jonesboro have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northside turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.