Basketball Game Preview: West Jefferson Roughriders vs. Middletown Christian Eagles

The West Jefferson Roughriders will head out on the road to square off against the Middletown Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Saturday, West Jefferson earned a 51-44 victory over Yellow Springs. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Roughriders.

West Jefferson's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Austin Buescher led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 18 points and nine boards. Buescher has been hot recently, having also posted three or more blocks the last three times he's played. Nick Fitzpatrick was another key player, dropping a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.

West Jefferson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in December of 2024.

Meanwhile, Middletown Christian hadn't done well against Lockland recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. Middletown Christian walked away with a 51-43 win over Lockland. The victory was some much needed relief for the Eagles as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.

Middletown Christian's win ended a 15-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-10. As for West Jefferson, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.

West Jefferson was able to grind out a solid win over Middletown Christian in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, winning 49-40. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Jefferson since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.