Basketball Game Preview: Cousino Patriots vs. Utica Ford Falcons

The Cousino Patriots will venture away from home to face off against the Utica Ford Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cousino is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.

Last Tuesday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Cousino beat Sterling Heights Stevenson 61-56. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 167th, while the Titans are ranked 458th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Utica Ford waltzed into their game on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 68-58 victory over the Colts.

Cousino better keep an eye on Eli Miller. He was instrumental in Utica Ford's win, going 9-for-14 to rack up 21 points and six rebounds. Miller is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 60% in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Carson Sturm, who went 5-for-10 on his way to 14 points.

Utica Ford was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matches.

Cousino pushed their record up to 13-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.4 points over those games. As for Utica Ford, their record is now 13-5.

Cousino came up short against Utica Ford when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 48-35. Can Cousino avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.