Basketball Game Preview: Walnut Wildcats vs. Ripley Tigers

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Walnut Wildcats take on the Ripley Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday... The timing is sure in Walnut's favor as the squad sits on 13 straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Ripley has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.

Walnut will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Kossuth, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Walnut put the hurt on Kossuth with a sharp 67-41 win on Tuesday. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 matches by 20 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Ripley lost 53-32 to Shannon on Tuesday.

Walnut has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 20-2 record this season. As for Ripley, their loss dropped their record down to 4-17.

Everything came up roses for Walnut against Ripley in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 62-31 victory. Does Walnut have another victory up their sleeve, or will Ripley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.