Preview: Battle Spartans vs. Benton Cardinals
The Battle Spartans will be home for the holidays to greet the Benton Cardinals at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Battle knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight matches -- so hopefully Benton likes a good challenge.
Last Thursday, Battle didn't have too much trouble with Montgomery County at home as they won 63-49. Given Battle's advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri basketball rankings (they are ranked 37th, while Montgomery County is ranked 169th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Tate McCubbin was his usual excellent self, scoring 15 points along with six rebounds and three blocks. The matchup was his eighth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Vernell Holt, who scored 13 points.
Meanwhile, Benton lost to Park Hill South at home by a decisive 40-25 margin on Tuesday. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Benton has scored all season.
Battle pushed their record up to 6-2 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Benton, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Battle was able to grind out a solid victory over Benton when the teams last played back in January of 2021, winning 63-56. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Benton's Kason Mauzey, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Battle to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
