Basketball Game Preview: Cherokee Trail Cougars vs. Erie Tigers

A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Cougars face off against the Tigers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Cherokee Trail will be strutting in after a win while Erie will be coming in after a loss.

Cherokee Trail is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past Mullen to the tune of 77-49 on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Cougars have posted against the Mustangs since February 15, 2020.

Nathan Baack

Points

02/22/25 @ Mullen	25
12/20/24 vs Benicia	21
01/04/25 @ Regis Jesuit	19
01/25/25 @ Grandview	16
12/07/24 vs Boulder	16
+ 16 more games

Nathan Baack had an outrageously good game as he went 8-for-10 on his way to 25 points. He has become a key player for Cherokee Trail: the team is 4-2 when he posts at least 15 points, but 5-12 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jordan Mitchell, who went 5-for-7 en route to 14 points.

Meanwhile, Erie was just a bucket shy of victory on Friday and fell 51-50 to Horizon. The Tigers haven't had much luck with the Hawks recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Cherokee Trail will have to keep a close watch on Callen Gebhardt and Garrett Owen, a pair of players who had a big impact on Erie's prior game. Gebhardt went 5-for-12 to rack up 12 points in addition to six rebounds and five assists, while Owen went 6-for-13 on his way to 16 points. Owen is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 46% in the last four games he's played. Christopher Smith was another key player, putting up nine points and six boards.

Erie's defeat dropped their record down to 12-11. As for Cherokee Trail, their win bumped their record up to 9-14.

Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Cherokee Trail has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 34% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Erie struggles in that department as they've made 35% of their three-pointers this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.