Basketball Game Preview: Mena Bearcats vs. Dierks Outlaws

The Mena Bearcats will take on the Dierks Outlaws in a holiday battle at at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Dierks is hoping to do what Two Rivers couldn't on Monday: put an end to Mena's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Mena simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Two Rivers 74-46. While the Bearcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 4-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Dierks, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They took their game on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 65-31 victory over Horatio.

Mena's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.7 points per game. As for Dierks, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.

Mena might still be hurting after the 59-38 defeat they got from Dierks when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Can Mena avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.