Basketball Game Preview: Winfield Pirates vs. Red Bay Tigers

The Winfield Pirates will take on the Red Bay Tigers in a holiday battle at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Winfield blew Hamilton out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Hamilton got their revenge. The Pirates fell just short of the Aggies by a score of 56-53. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Pirates have suffered since December 9, 2024.

Meanwhile, Red Bay unfortunately witnessed the end of their eight-game winning streak on Saturday. They lost 75-53 to West Union. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 82nd in Alabama, while the Eagles are ranked third in Mississippi).

Despite the loss, Red Bay saw an underclassman step up: freshman Dalton Lowery almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine assists. Khalil Luster was another key player, shooting 44% from the field to rack up 18 points and six rebounds.

Winfield's defeat dropped their record down to 7-4. As for Red Bay, their loss dropped their record down to 8-4.

Everything came up roses for Winfield against Red Bay when the teams last played back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 50-20 victory. Will the Pirates repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.