PARK HILLS, Mo. (Interstat) — A pair of men’s junior college basketball teams on divergent paths will meet Wednesday when the unbeaten Barton Cougars visit the winless Mineral Area Cardinals.

Barton (2-0) enters the contest riding momentum from a pair of narrow road victories in Arizona. The Cougars edged Eastern Arizona 76-73 on Saturday, led by a 27-point, 6-rebound performance from Aris Rodriguez. Jayden Ramirez added 17 points and four assists, while Pavel Ivanov contributed 13 points and six rebounds. Barton opened its season with a 74-67 win at Arizona Western.

Conversely, Mineral Area (0-2) is searching for its first win after two single-digit road losses. The Cardinals fell 76-72 at Gulf Coast State on Saturday. In that contest, Nazir Allen recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Terron Garrett scored a team-high 17 points. The Cardinals also lost 84-79 at John A. Logan to begin the season.

The game will be the Cardinals’ final home contest before a two-game road trip to Illinois. Barton returns home to face State Fair on Nov. 11.