Basketball Game Preview: Grants Pirates vs. Belen Eagles

The Grants Pirates will head out on the road to challenge the Belen Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Grants will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Highland, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. Grants secured a 61-57 W over Highland on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Belen hadn't done well against Highland recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Belen sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 68-65 victory over Highland. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since December 12, 2024.

Belen's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-10. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.3 points per game. As for Grants, they now have a winning record of 10-9.

Grants strolled past Belen in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 72-55. The rematch might be a little tougher for Grants since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.