Basketball Game Preview: North Pike Jaguars vs. Provine Rams

The North Pike Jaguars will face off against the Provine Rams at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Provine took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on North Pike, who comes in off a win.

North Pike will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Natchez, who they had gone 0-5 against in their five prior meetings. North Pike had just enough and edged Natchez out 58-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Jaguars have posted since November 22, 2024.

Meanwhile, Provine came up short against South Jones last Thursday and fell 66-53. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 138th, while the Braves are ranked 11th).

North Pike's victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 11-6. As for Provine, they have been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.

North Pike lost to Provine at home by a decisive 49-33 margin when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Can North Pike avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.