Basketball Game Preview: Morse Shipbuilders vs. Oceanside Mariners

Morse hasn't had much luck against Oceanside recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Morse Shipbuilders will challenge the Oceanside Mariners at 6:00 p.m. Oceanside took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Morse, who comes in off a win.

Morse is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 70-11 win over Wiscasset. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.

Meanwhile, Oceanside unfortunately witnessed the end of their nine-game winning streak on Monday. They received a blow as they fell 56-37 to Lawrence. The contest marked the Mariners' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Morse will need focus on slowing down Renee Ripley, one of several Oceanside players who made an impact when they last played. She dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 rebounds. Ripley has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more boards the last ten times she's played. Aubrianna Hoose was another key player, putting up 18 points and six rebounds.

Even though they lost, Oceanside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.

Morse is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 7-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.0 points per game. As for Oceanside, their loss ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-3.

Morse was dealt a bruising 76-20 defeat at the hands of Oceanside in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Morse avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.