In Thursday's league outing, the Branson Pirates (Branson, MO) basketball squad edged the visiting Willard Tigers (Willard, MO), by a count of 65-61.

The Pirates (16-9) will now prepare for their outing against Republic (Republic, MO). The Tigers go into the Central Ozarks - Large outing with a 7-3 record. In their last outing, Republic was tipped by Willard (Willard, MO), 64-57, in a league outing.

The Tigers now hold a 17-6 record. They take the field next when they travel to Neosho for a Central Ozarks - Large outing on Friday, February 18. Willard will encounter a Wildcats squad coming off a 87-64 league loss to Branson (Branson, MO). The Wildcats record now stands at 6-16.