Basketball Game Preview: Mellen Granite Diggers vs. Bayfield Trollers

The Mellen Granite Diggers are taking a road trip to take on the Bayfield Trollers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mellen is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.

Last Tuesday, Mellen was fully in charge, breezing past Lac Courte Oreilles 69-27. The Granite Diggers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 20 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Bayfield hadn't done well against Washburn recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Bayfield enjoyed a cozy 80-62 victory over Washburn. The win was familiar territory for the Trollers, who have now won three games in a row.

Mellen better keep an eye on Quintin Bresette. He was instrumental in Bayfield's win, dropping a double-double with 27 points and 13 assists. Bresette's evening made it eight games in a row in which he has scored at least 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Maxwell Gordon, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 14 boards.

Bayfield smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive boards in three consecutive matches.

Bayfield pushed their record up to 14-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 89.3 points over those games. As for Mellen, their record is now 17-2.

Mellen was able to grind out a solid win over Bayfield when the teams last played back in January, winning 70-58. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gordon, who dropped a double-double with 28 points and 20 rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Mellen still be able to contain Gordon? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.