Three Rivers Looks to Continue Dominance Over State Fair

SEDALIA, Mo. (Interstat) — The Three Rivers Raiders will look to complete a season sweep of the State Fair Roadrunners when the men’s junior college basketball teams meet Saturday.

The Raiders (17-7) have won both matchups this season decisively, earning an 83-64 road win on Jan. 10 and a 67-49 home victory on Jan. 28. They enter on a two-game winning streak following a 71-64 victory over Moberly Area on Wednesday.

Three Rivers is led by guard Matt Hampton, who is coming off a standout performance. In the win over Moberly Area, he played all 40 minutes, scoring 23 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing seven assists. Forward Antonio Williams added a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds in that contest.

The host Roadrunners (7-12) snapped a two-game skid with an 87-79 win over Mineral Area on Wednesday. State Fair’s recent results have been inconsistent, mixing high-scoring wins with lopsided losses.

A player to watch for State Fair is Jai’Kori Phillps, though he saw only one minute of action in the team’s most recent game. The Roadrunners will need a more balanced effort to challenge the surging Raiders.

Three Rivers has established itself as the stronger side this season, boasting a 10-game advantage in the win column. Their defense stifled State Fair in the previous meetings, holding them to an average of 56.5 points.

Saturday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. Central Time at the Fred E. Davis Center. Following this contest, Three Rivers will host Mineral Area on Feb. 21, while State Fair travels to face Missouri State-West Plains the same day.