Basketball Game Preview: North Pole Patriots vs. Monroe Catholic Rams

North Pole hasn't had much luck against Monroe Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Patriots will challenge the Rams at 6:30 p.m. North Pole has given up an average of 49.8 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Saturday, North Pole came up short against Palmer and fell 69-61.

Meanwhile, Monroe Catholic strolled past Valdez with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 58-42. The win continues a trend for the Rams in their matchups with the Buccaneers: they've now won four in a row.

North Pole's loss dropped their record down to 11-11. As for Monroe Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 12-9.

North Pole won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer when the teams last played two weeks ago, slipping by Monroe Catholic 48-47. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.