Basketball Game Preview: Martin County Cardinals vs. Pikeville Panthers

Martin County hasn't had much luck against Pikeville recently, but that could start to change on Monday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Cardinals take on the Panthers at 6:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Martin County saw some tournament action on Saturday. They managed a 66-61 win over Pike County Central. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cardinals.

Meanwhile, Pikeville blew past Shelby Valley, posting a 76-48 victory. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matches by 23 points or more this season.

Pikeville is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.4 points over those games. Martin County's win bumped their record up to 16-7.

Martin County skirted past Pikeville 59-56 in their previous meeting back in January. Will Martin County repeat their success, or does Pikeville have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.