Basketball Game Preview: Moriah Vikings vs. Saranac Spartans

Moriah is 8-2 against Saranac since January of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Moriah Vikings will look to defend their home court against the Saranac Spartans at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Moriah's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.

Last Wednesday, everything went Moriah's way against Schroon Lake as Moriah made off with a 64-43 victory. With the Vikings ahead 39-17 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Moriah got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Cooper Allen out in front who posted 17 points and eight rebounds. Allen's evening made it 17 games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Chase McGinness was another key player, putting up 11 points in addition to eight boards and four steals.

Moriah smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in December of 2023.

Meanwhile, Saranac was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 53-49 heartbreaker at the hands of Northeastern Clinton.

Moriah will need focus on slowing down Henry Napper, one of several Saranac players who made an impact when they last played. He earned 15 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. The dominant performance gave Napper a new career-high in assists. Another player making a difference was Carson Duffield, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards.

Moriah's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points per game. As for Saranac, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.

Moriah came out on top in a nail-biter against Saranac in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, sneaking past 54-52. Will Moriah repeat their success, or does Saranac have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.