Basketball Game Preview: North Branch Vikings vs. Monticello Magic

The North Branch Vikings will square off against the Monticello Magic at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

North Branch is headed into Tuesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Friday. They were outmatched by Princeton and fell 102-65.

Meanwhile, Monticello entered their match against St. Francis on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Monticello fell just short of St. Francis by a score of 75-73. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Magic came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 53rd, while the Fighting Saints are ranked 334th).

North Branch will have to contain Jackson Soroko as he made an impact in Monticello's last game. He almost dropped a double-double with 20 points and nine boards. Soroko's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least 18 points. Another player making a difference was Carson Deibele, who went 5-for-9 on his way to 13 points.

Even though they lost, Monticello smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 15 consecutive contests.

Monticello's loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 12-1 and their overall record down to 19-4. As for North Branch, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-19.

North Branch took a serious blow against Monticello in their previous meeting back in January, falling 98-29. Will North Branch have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.