The Park Rapids Panthers will look to defend their home court on Monday against the Staples-Motley Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Thursday, Park Rapids was the victim of a rough 79-56 loss at the hands of West Central Area. While losing is never fun, Park Rapids can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 106th, while West Central Area is ranked 30th).
Despite the loss, Park Rapids had strong showings from Noah Larson, who scored 24 points along with seven rebounds, and Ryan Carroll, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds. Carroll is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last four games he's played. Blake Morris was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Staples-Motley earned a 65-54 win over Pillager on Monday. The win was just what Staples-Motley needed coming off of a 70-50 defeat in their prior game.
Park Rapids' defeat dropped their record down to 13-7. As for Staples-Motley, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.
Park Rapids beat Staples-Motley 76-64 in their previous meeting back in January. Will Park Rapids repeat their success, or does Staples-Motley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
