Basketball Game Preview: McCool Junction Mustangs vs. Lawrence-Nelson Raiders

The McCool Junction Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Lawrence-Nelson Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. McCool Junction has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with four straight losses, while Lawrence-Nelson will come in with three straight victories.

Last Saturday, McCool Junction lost to Heartland at home by a 44-27 margin. The Mustangs were down 34-13 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Meanwhile, Lawrence-Nelson didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Franklin on Saturday, but they still walked away with a 38-33 win.

McCool Junction better keep an eye on Kara Menke. She was instrumental in Lawrence-Nelson's win, almost dropping a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. The contest was Menke's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brynnly Harrison, who posted eight points and six rebounds.

McCool Junction now has a losing record at 4-5. As for Lawrence-Nelson, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.

Everything came up roses for McCool Junction against Lawrence-Nelson in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 62-11 win. In that matchup, McCool Junction amassed a halftime lead of 43-9, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.