Basketball Game Preview: Emporia Spartans vs. Hayden Wildcats

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Previous Games

12/14/24 - Home	13-54 L
02/06/24 - Home	44-32 W
01/02/24 - Away	54-40 W
12/08/23 - Away	45-50 L
02/07/23 - Away	44-32 W
+ 5 more games

Emporia has gone 8-2 against Hayden recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Emporia Spartans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hayden Wildcats. The timing isn't great for Emporia: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home, while Hayden has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.

Having struggled with nine defeats in a row dating back to last season, Emporia turned things around against Independent on Tuesday. They managed a 36-30 victory over the Panthers. The Spartans' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, Hayden earned a 54-47 win over Manhattan on Friday. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked third, while the Indians are ranked 70th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Emporia's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-7. As for Hayden, their win bumped their record up to 9-0.

Emporia was dealt a bruising 54-13 loss at the hands of Hayden when the teams last played back in December of 2024. Can Emporia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.