Basketball Game Preview: Ryle Raiders vs. Cooper Jaguars

Ryle hasn't had much luck against Cooper recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Ryle Raiders will face off against the Cooper Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Thursday.

Ryle is headed into the game having just posted their biggest win since January 22nd on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Conner 54-24. The victory continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won six in a row.

Jayden (Jay) Mcclain

Blocked Shots

02/25/25 vs Conner	5
02/20/25 vs Bishop Brossart	6
02/15/25 @ North Laurel	6
02/13/25 vs Franklin County	6
02/10/25 @ South Oldham	7
+ 14 more games

Ryle relied on the efforts of Jayden (Jay) Mcclain, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards, and Jaelyn Jones, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. (Jay) Mcclain has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 19 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ava Warner, who posted six points.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cooper, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They took their matchup on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 68-18 win over Boone County. The Jaguars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 20 points or more this season.

Cooper pushed their record up to 21-5 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.6 points over those games. As for Ryle, their win bumped their record up to 9-21.

Ryle came up short against Cooper when the teams last played back in January, falling 56-51. Can Ryle avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.