Basketball Game Preview: McKinleyville Panthers vs. St. Bernard's Crusaders

The McKinleyville Panthers will face off against the St. Bernard's Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. McKinleyville is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.9 points per game this season.

McKinleyville is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Arcata just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They lost to the Tigers on the road by a 61-47 margin.

McKinleyville's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Bode Douglass, who went 6 for 11 en route to 17 points and eight rebounds, and Cole Armstrong, who posted 17 points and eight boards. That's the most points Armstrong has posted since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Nick Maher, who put up four points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, St. Bernard's entered their tilt with St. Vincent de Paul on Monday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 50-43.

St. Bernard's victory bumped their record up to 14-3. As for McKinleyville, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 14-7.

McKinleyville came up short against St. Bernard's in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 48-39. Can McKinleyville avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.