The Mathis Pirates will head out on the road to square off against the Taft Greyhounds at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Mathis suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Friday. They were dealt a 102-52 defeat at the hands of Aransas Pass.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was EJ Montemayor, who scored eight points along with two steals. Brandon Reed was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Meanwhile, Taft unfortunately witnessed the end of their ten-game winning streak on Friday. They fell to Goliad 61-57. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
The losing side was boosted by Jordan Villalobos, who scored 25 points along with five rebounds and two steals. That was a full 43.9% of Taft's points, marking the seventh time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was David Davis, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and three steals.
Mathis' defeat dropped their record down to 12-12. As for Taft, their loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 18-10.
Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Mathis have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 33.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Taft struggles in that department as they've nailed 44.5% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mathis came up short against Taft in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 64-55. Can Mathis avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
