Basketball Game Preview: Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings vs. Solon Spartans

Vinton-Shellsburg is 2-7 against Solon since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings will host the Solon Spartans at 7:15 p.m.

Vinton-Shellsburg is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They lost 58-38 to Grinnell.

Meanwhile, Solon entered their tilt with Independence on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They enjoyed a cozy 69-53 victory over the Mustangs. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' Iowa basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while the Mustangs are ranked 229th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Solon's win was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.1 points over those games. As for Vinton-Shellsburg, they now have a losing record at 10-11.

Vinton-Shellsburg took a serious blow against Solon when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 77-38. Can Vinton-Shellsburg avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.