Basketball Game Preview: Nitro Wildcats vs. Shady Spring Tigers

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Nitro Wildcats face off against Shady Spring Tigers at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.

Nitro is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Ripley 48-45. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wildcats have posted since March 6, 2024.

Nitro found their leader in sophomore Collin Crouch, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Another player making a difference was Landon Poniatowski, who posted six points and eight boards.

Meanwhile, Shady Spring didn't have too much trouble with Robert C. Byrd on Wednesday as they won 60-43.

Shady Spring's win bumped their record up to 20-4. As for Nitro, their victory bumped their record up to 18-6.

Nitro suffered a grim 67-44 defeat to Shady Spring in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Nitro avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.