Basketball Game Preview: Mentor Cardinals vs. Jackson Polar Bears

Mentor is 0-5 against Jackson since November of 2016 but things could change on Monday. The two teams will compete for holiday cheer at 1:30 p.m. Jackson took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Mentor, who comes in off a win.

Mentor took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They strolled past Shaker Heights with points to spare, taking the game 56-41. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 110th, while the Red Raiders are ranked 443rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Jackson unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Saturday. They lost to Washington on the road by a 67-49 margin.

Jackson's defeat dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Mentor, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-2.

Mentor took a serious blow against Jackson in their previous matchup back in December of 2019, falling 71-30. Can Mentor avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.