Basketball Game Preview: New Bern Bears vs. Jacksonville Cardinals

New Bern hasn't had much luck against Jacksonville recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The New Bern Bears will be home for the holidays to greet the Jacksonville Cardinals at 6:00 p.m.

Last Friday, New Bern was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 31-30 to Havelock. The Bears have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Jacksonville's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Swansboro on Wednesday. Jacksonville was the clear victor by a 59-33 margin over Hedgesville. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Cardinals' disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 169th in North Carolina, while the Eagles are ranked 33rd in West Virginia).

Jacksonville pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.9 points per game. As for New Bern, their loss dropped their record down to 1-6.

New Bern took a serious blow against Jacksonville in their previous meeting back in February, falling 69-31. Will New Bern have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.