Basketball Game Preview: Ames Little Cyclones vs. Waterloo East Trojans

The Ames Little Cyclones will venture away from home to face off against the Waterloo East Trojans at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Tuesday, Ames didn't have too much trouble with Norwalk as they won 57-39. Given the Little Cyclones' advantage in MaxPreps' Iowa basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while the Warriors are ranked 88th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Waterloo East waltzed into their game on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They enjoyed a cozy 72-57 victory over the Dodgers. The Trojans' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Ames' win was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.5 points per game. As for Waterloo East, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-6 record this season.

Everything came up roses for Ames against Waterloo East in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 59-27 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ames since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.