Basketball Game Preview: Rifle Bears vs. North Fork Miners

The Rifle Bears will head out to square off against the North Fork Miners at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Rifle is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.2 points per game this season.

Rifle took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They managed a 66-61 win over Cedaredge. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Bears as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.

Alex Gonzalez was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards. Those 11 boards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eliezer Vega, who went 5 of 8 on his way to 15 points.

Rifle smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, North Fork scored the most points they've had this season on Friday, but it wasn't enough. They received a blow as they fell 67-53 to Gunnison.

North Fork's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Rifle, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.