Preview: Region 16 Championship Set for Saturday Showdown

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (Interstat) — An even season series and identical records will collide Saturday when the Three Rivers Raiders and Mineral Area Cardinals meet for the men’s junior college Region 16 championship.

The title game, set for March 7, 2026, features two teams with 18-10 records who split their two regular-season meetings. Mineral Area won the most recent matchup 61-53 on Feb. 21 at Three Rivers, while the Raiders won 78-65 at home on Jan. 17.

Three Rivers, the visiting team Saturday, advanced with a 95-87 win over State Fair on Thursday. The Raiders are led by guard Matt Hampton, who is coming off a 22-point, 7-rebound, 6-assist performance. Over his last seven games, Hampton has averaged 17.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Mineral Area, the host, enters on a high note after an 88-74 victory over Missouri State-West Plains on Thursday. The Cardinals’ player to watch is Nassir Binion, who scored 21 points in a Feb. 28 loss to Moberly Area and has provided offensive sparks off the bench in recent weeks.

The rubber match will decide the region’s champion. In the Feb. 21 Cardinals win, Mineral Area’s defense held Hampton to just 4 points, though he contributed 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Containing him again will likely be a focal point.

Both teams have shown resilience. Three Rivers has won two of its last three, while Mineral Area has won three of its last four heading into the final.

The game tips off Saturday at Mineral Area College. The winner claims the Region 16 title and secures a berth in the national tournament.