Basketball Game Preview: Rhea County Golden Eagles vs. Cleveland Blue Raiders

Rhea County hasn't had much luck against Cleveland recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Rhea County Golden Eagles will challenge the Cleveland Blue Raiders at 7:30 p.m.

Rhea County is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest loss since February 26, 2024 last Friday. They lost 50-28 to Cleveland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Golden Eagles' biggest loss of the season was also their lowest-scoring.

Cleveland's win came from a few key players Rhea County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Laney Copeland, who went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc to rack up 24 points and five rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Cleveland's points. Another player making a difference was Emma Smith, who posted 12 points and three steals.

Rhea County's defeat dropped their record down to 18-9. As for Cleveland, they have been performing well recently as they've won 14 of their last 17 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-7 record this season.