Pine River-Backus has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Laporte Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Pine River-Backus lost a heartbreaker when they last took the court, but unfortunately for them the defeat they were handed on on Saturday was a bit more commanding. They were outmatched by Upsala at home and fell 80-42. While losing is never fun, Pine River-Backus can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 368th, while the Cardinals are ranked 154th).
Meanwhile, Laporte's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their 16th straight loss. They were dealt a 76-41 loss at the hands of Sebeka. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Laporte in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now lost eight in a row.
Pine River-Backus has traveled a rocky road recently having lost 12 of their last 13 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-15 record this season. As for Laporte, they dropped their record down to 7-23 with that defeat, which was their 11th straight on the road.
Everything came up roses for Pine River-Backus against the Wildcats in their previous meeting back in January as the team secured a 92-33 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pine River-Backus since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
