Basketball Game Preview: Owen Valley Patriots vs. Clay City Eels

The Owen Valley Patriots will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Clay City Eels at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Owen Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They lost to Monrovia at home by a 60-45 margin on Friday. The loss continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now lost three in a row.

Despite the defeat, Owen Valley saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Donavin Newby posted 17 points and four steals. Those four steals set a new season-high mark for Newby. Another player making a difference was Rhet Heckman, who earned six points.

Meanwhile, Clay City entered their tilt with Indianapolis Metropolitan on Saturday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. It was close, but they ultimately received the gift of a 56-54 victory from a begrudging Eels squad.

Clay City's win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Owen Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.

Owen Valley ended up a good deal behind Clay City in their previous meeting back in January, losing 59-41. Can Owen Valley avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.