Basketball Game Preview: Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda Coyotes vs. Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda hasn't had much luck against Hills-Beaver Creek recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda Coyotes will head out on the road to face off against the Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots at 7:30 p.m.

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their tenth straight game on Tuesday. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 47-44 heartbreaker at the hands of Adrian/Ellsworth. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Coyotes have suffered since February 20, 2024.

Despite the defeat, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Thaddeus Bray went 9 of 11 on his way to 19 points and six rebounds. Those 19 points set a new season-high mark for Bray. Cole Schmidt was another key player, putting up eight points and five steals.

Even though they lost, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Meanwhile, Hills-Beaver Creek waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They took down the Flying Dutchmen 62-44. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 50th, while the Flying Dutchmen are ranked 232nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Hills-Beaver Creek pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.8 points per game. As for Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, their loss dropped their record down to 2-11.

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda might still be hurting after the 65-44 defeat they got from Hills-Beaver Creek in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.