Basketball Game Preview: Prout Crusaders vs. Pilgrim Patriots

The Prout Crusaders will face off against the Pilgrim Patriots at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

While Prout didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They breezed by Block Island to the tune of 53-9 on Friday. The contest marked the Crusaders' most dominant victory of the season so far.

Prout's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ella Martin led the charge by putting up nine points along with seven boards and six steals. With that strong performance, Martin is now averaging an impressive 2.4 steals per game. Seneca Fielding was another key player, posting eight points along with 11 boards and five assists.

Prout smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in eight consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Pilgrim waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Kilties 51-23. While the Patriots didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Prout is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.2 points per game. As for Pilgrim, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1.

Prout was able to grind out a solid victory over Pilgrim in their previous meeting back in January of 2018, winning 48-35. Does Prout have another victory up their sleeve, or will Pilgrim turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.