COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (Interstat) — A surging Utah State Eastern squad looks to rebound from its first loss in over a month when it visits a North Idaho team seeking consistency in a men’s junior college basketball matchup Thursday.

The Eagles (13-3) travel to face the Cardinal (8-6) at Rolly Williams Court in a non-conference contest. Utah State Eastern saw a seven-game winning streak snapped last Thursday in an 81-74 road loss at Snow. Prior to that, they had not lost since Nov. 29.

North Idaho enters with momentum from an 81-55 road victory at Colorado Northwestern last Saturday, which halted a four-game skid. The Cardinal’s recent struggles included an 82-65 home loss to Southern Idaho and an 81-62 defeat at Salt Lake.

A key matchup will feature Utah State Eastern’s Isaac Castagnetto against North Idaho’s Ne’quan Brown. Castagnetto is coming off a dominant 15-point, 11-rebound double-double in the loss to Snow, part of a strong three-game stretch where he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. His interior presence will be central to the Eagles’ game plan.

Brown provides a versatile threat for the Cardinal. He led the team with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the win over Colorado Northwestern. However, his production has fluctuated, including a one-point outing in a narrow loss to Indian Hills in December.

Utah State Eastern’s offense has shown balance. In the loss to Snow, Liam Davis came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points. The Eagles have scored 74 or more points in nine of their last ten games.

North Idaho will rely on Brown and forwards Austin Ouko and Gage Ontiveros, who combined for 50 points and 23 rebounds in the last outing. The Cardinal have shown they can win on the road but are just 3-3 at home this season.

This game is the first of a home-and-home series between the teams, who will meet again in Price, Utah, on Jan. 31. For Utah State Eastern, it begins a tough two-game road trip against Idaho schools, with a visit to Southern Idaho to follow on Saturday. North Idaho hosts Snow on Saturday.