Basketball Game Preview: Riverside Pirates vs. Vale Vikings

Riverside is 0-10 against Vale since February of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Riverside Pirates will be playing in front of their home fans against the Vale Vikings at 6:00 p.m.

Riverside fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Umatilla on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 33-32 to the Vikings.

The losing side was boosted by Justien Tido, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Vale came tearing into Saturday's matchup with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 26 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Bulldogs, posting a 50-12 victory. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 20 points or more this season.

Vale pushed their record up to 14-1 with the win, which was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.9 points per game. As for Riverside, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.

Things could have been worse for Riverside, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 49-31 loss to Vale in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can Riverside avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.