Basketball Game Preview: Pope County Pirates vs. Joppa-Maple Grove Rangers

Pope County is 10-0 against Joppa-Maple Grove since December of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Pope County Pirates will be playing at home against the Joppa-Maple Grove Rangers at 5:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Joppa-Maple Grove is facing Pope County at the wrong time: Pope County suffered their first home loss of the season on Saturday and they're likely out for redemption. The contest between them and the Hawks didn't end well, with Pope County falling 52-34. The Pirates were down 41-18 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Lawson Forthman, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 17 boards. Forthman is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: she's pulled down at least ten every time she's taken the court this season. Bella Fasolo was another key player, putting up 13 points.

Meanwhile, Joppa-Maple Grove was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 22nd straight defeat dating back to last season. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 45-41 heartbreaker at the hands of Cobden. One positive for the Rangers, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.

Pope County's loss ended a 15-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 12-5. As for Joppa-Maple Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.

Pope County strolled past Joppa-Maple Grove in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 by a score of 36-22. Does Pope County have another victory up their sleeve, or will Joppa-Maple Grove turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.