Basketball Preview: Sparta Spartans vs. Onalaska Hilltoppers
Sparta is 1-9 against the Hilltoppers since February of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Sparta Spartans will head out on the road to challenge the Onalaska Hilltoppers at 7:15 p.m. Sparta is no doubt hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses.
While Sparta couldn't quite beat the Rangers last Friday, the three-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 22-point defeat they were dealt last Tuesday. Sparta fell just short of the Rangers by a score of 59-56. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Despite their loss, Sparta saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Evelyn Tripp, who scored 15 points along with two steals, was perhaps the best of all. Lily Seifert was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
In what's become a running theme this season, Onalaska gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They blew past La Crosse Logan 60-36. Given Onalaska's advantage in MaxPreps' Wisconsin basketball rankings (they are ranked 108th, while the Rangers are ranked 310th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sparta has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-16 record this season. As for Onalaska, they are on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 15 games, which provided a nice bump to their 17-7 record this season.
Sparta might still be hurting after the 52-27 defeat they got from the Hilltoppers when the teams last played back in January. Can Sparta avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
