Basketball Game Preview: Clarkson/Leigh Patriots vs. West Point-Beemer Cadets

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots and the West Point-Beemer Cadets will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Clarkson/Leigh is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Bancroft-Rosalie on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Clarkson/Leigh was dealt a 68-37 loss at the hands of Bancroft-Rosalie. The Patriots have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Clarkson/Leigh's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Kyle McMullin, who posted eight points and 11 rebounds, and Tucker Matthies, who put up 11 points and eight rebounds. McMullin is crushing it when it comes to boards: he's pulled down at least nine every time he's taken the court this season.

Meanwhile, West Point-Beemer waltzed into their game on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They snuck past the Jaguars with a 59-54 win.

Clarkson/Leigh better keep an eye on Blaize Brockmann. He was instrumental in West Point-Beemer's win, as he made all 7 shots he took to post 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Myles Nielsen, who had 11 points.

West Point-Beemer's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Clarkson/Leigh, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Clarkson/Leigh has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Point-Beemer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Clarkson/Leigh took a serious blow against West Point-Beemer in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 61-21. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Clarkson/Leigh was down 44-11.