Johnston Panthers (Johnston, RI) supporters left the game happy Friday as they witnessed their basketball squad hold off the host Smithfield Sentinels (Esmond, RI), 57-55 in a non-league match.

With the victory, Johnston advances its record to 1-0 on the year. The Panthers travel to Cumberland (Cumberland, RI) to face the Clippers in a non-league match on Monday, December 16. The Clippers enter the match with a record of 0-0.

The Sentinels now own a 0-1 record. They put it on the line next when they travel to Central for a non-league match on Monday, December 16. Smithfield will face a Knights squad coming off a 85-34 non-league win over Woonsocket (Woonsocket, RI). The Knights record now stands at 1-0.