Basketball Game Preview: Black River Pirates vs. Oberlin Phoenix

Black River is 1-9 against Oberlin since December of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Pirates will host the Phoenix at 7:00 p.m. Black River has given up an average of 55.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Tuesday, Black River took a blow against Brookside, falling 79-49. The Pirates were down 66-40 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Parker Broadsword

Steals

02/03/26 @ Brookside	3
01/31/26 @ Open Door Christian	3
01/30/26 vs Firelands	2

Despite the defeat, Black River saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Parker Broadsword shot 43% from the field to rack up 18 points and three steals. Broadsword has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Zane Bungard, who posted nine points.

Oberlin hadn't beaten Columbia on the road since January 10, 2023 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Phoenix came out on top in a nail-biter against the Raiders, sneaking past 45-42. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Phoenix.

Black River's loss dropped their record down to 11-8. As for Oberlin, their victory bumped their record up to 10-8.

Black River couldn't quite finish off Oberlin when the teams last played back in January and fell 49-46. Will the Pirates have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.