Basketball Game Preview: Monterey Plainsmen vs. Lubbock-Cooper Pirates

The Monterey Plainsmen will face off against the Lubbock-Cooper Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Monterey knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 12 games -- so hopefully Lubbock-Cooper likes a good challenge.

Monterey is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Texas' top teams: Amarillo, who was ranked eighth at the time (Monterey was ranked fourth). Monterey fell 73-66 to Amarillo on Tuesday. The Plainsmen's loss signaled the end of their seven-game winning streak.

Despite the defeat, Monterey got top-tier performance from Aaliyah Chavez, who posted 30 points and six steals. The matchup was Chavez's 33rd in a row with at least ten points. Khloei Serna was another key player, putting up 11 points.

Meanwhile, Lubbock-Cooper came up short against Tascosa on Tuesday and fell 50-41. The Pirates haven't had much luck with the Rebels recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.

Monterey's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 29-5. As for Lubbock-Cooper, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-14.

Monterey took their win against Lubbock-Cooper in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 by a conclusive 70-49. Will Monterey repeat their success, or does Lubbock-Cooper have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.