Basketball Game Preview: Stryker Panthers vs. Tinora Rams

Stryker and Tinora are an even 4-4 against one another since December of 2016, but not for long. The Stryker Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Tinora Rams at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Stryker has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.

Stryker is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top against Hicksville by a score of 52-41 last Monday. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 298th, while the Aces are ranked 599th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Tinora, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 50-11 win over Holgate. That 39 point margin sets a new team best for the Rams this season.

Stryker pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.0 points per game. As for Tinora, their win bumped their record up to 4-6.

Stryker came out on top in a nail-biter against Tinora when the teams last played back in February, sneaking past 40-38. The rematch might be a little tougher for Stryker since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.