Basketball Game Preview: Merrill Bluejays vs. Stevens Point Panthers

Merrill hasn't had much luck against Stevens Point recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Merrill Bluejays will be playing at home against the Stevens Point Panthers at 7:15 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

While Merrill didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against Lakeland by a score of 52-42 on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bluejays.

Meanwhile, Stevens Point was able to grind out a solid victory over Watertown on Saturday, taking the game 63-51. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Wisconsin basketball rankings (they are ranked 116th, while the Goslings are ranked 290th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Merrill has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.4 points per game. As for Stevens Point, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.

Merrill might still be hurting after the 61-39 loss they got from Stevens Point in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can Merrill avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.