Basketball Game Preview: Paxton Tigers vs. Bertrand Vikings

The Paxton Tigers will take on the Bertrand Vikings in a tournament on Saturday. Paxton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.1 points per game this season.

Paxton is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Dundy County-Stratton just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 48-37 to the Tigers. The matchup marked Paxton's lowest-scoring game so far this season.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Noah Coppersmith, who posted eight points and four steals. Those four steals gave him a new career-high. Jasper Brewster was another key player, putting up seven points.

Meanwhile, after a string of nine wins, Bertrand's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They lost to Alma on the road by a 54-38 margin.

Paxton will have to contain Marcus Hernandez as he made an impact in Bertrand's last game. He went 7 for 12 en route to 16 points and six boards. Hernandez's evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points.

Bertrand's loss ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 14-5. As for Paxton, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Paxton has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bertrand struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Paxton came up short against Bertrand in their previous meeting back in January of 2017, falling 62-57. Can Paxton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.