Basketball Game Preview: Morgan Raiders vs. New Lexington Panthers

The Morgan Raiders will challenge the New Lexington Panthers at 7:15 p.m. on Friday.

Morgan is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against West Muskingum on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Morgan lost 70-50 to West Muskingum. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 616th, while the Tornadoes are ranked 251st).

Despite their defeat, Morgan saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Cole McGill, who posted eight points, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Jordan Harlow, who earned nine points.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for New Lexington, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They walked away with a 54-42 win over River View on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Black Bears: they've now won three in a row.

Morgan has been struggling recently as they've lost 11 of their last 12 contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 4-17 record this season. As for New Lexington, they now have a winning record of 11-10.

Morgan came up short against New Lexington when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 53-42. Can Morgan avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.