Basketball Game Preview: McClave Cardinals vs. Wiley Panthers

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Previous Games

02/16/24 - Home	84-46 W
02/16/23 - Away	40-33 W
12/15/22 - Neutral	58-37 W
03/05/22 - Neutral	47-42 W
02/24/22 - Neutral	39-30 W
+ 5 more games

McClave and Wiley are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2019, but not for long. A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Cardinals face off against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

McClave is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Burlington: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that McClave blew Burlington out of the water with a 59-31 final score. The Cardinals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 games by 27 points or more this season.

McClave found their leader in sophomore Tuff Kelley, who dropped a triple-double with 16 points, 13 boards, and ten blocks. That's the most blocks Kelley has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Mason Barr, who en route to 14 points and four steals.

McClave was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Burlington only seven assists.

Meanwhile, Wiley came tearing into Tuesday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 points), and they left with even more momentum. They came within four points of losing the streak, but they secured a 56-52 W against the Buffaloes.

McClave's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.5 points over those games. As for Wiley, their win bumped their record up to 11-8.

Everything came up roses for McClave against Wiley in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as the squad secured an 84-46 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Wiley's Evan Larrick, who on his way to 23 points and six rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for McClave to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.