Basketball Game Preview: Mattamuskeet Lakers vs. Columbia Wildcats

Mattamuskeet hasn't had much luck against Columbia recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Mattamuskeet Lakers will look to defend their home court against the Columbia Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Tuesday, Mattamuskeet came up short against Cape Hatteras and fell 48-38. The Lakers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Columbia's game on Tuesday was all tied up 24-24 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They took a 62-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of Hobgood Charter. The defeat continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now lost three in a row.

Mattamuskeet will have to contain Jayden Sawyer as he made an impact in Columbia's last game. He dropped a double-double on 27 points and 11 rebounds. The contest was Sawyer's tenth in a row with at least ten points. Ja-Kwon White was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to eight boards and four steals.

Even though they lost, Columbia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 17 consecutive games.

Mattamuskeet's loss dropped their record down to 3-8. As for Columbia, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-14.

Mattamuskeet suffered a grim 60-36 defeat to Columbia in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Thankfully for Mattamuskeet, Ariyeh Spencer (who posted 31 points along with seven assists and six steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.