Basketball Game Preview: Hershey Panthers vs. Cozad Haymakers

The Hershey Panthers will head out to challenge the Cozad Haymakers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Hershey can't be too happy about their upcoming road contest considering what happened when they opened their season away from home on Thursday. They fell 66-59 to Perkins County. The Panthers have struggled against the Plainsmen recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Houston Hill, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards. Another player making a difference was Aidan Truesdale, who posted 21 points.

Meanwhile, Cozad humbled Maxwell with a 69-22 victory. The Haymakers haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

Hershey better keep an eye on Olliver Davis. He was instrumental in Cozad's win, putting up 11 points and five steals. Those five steals gave Davis a new career-high. Miles German was another key player, scoring ten points.

Cozad was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Maxwell only racked up six.

Hershey was taken down by Cozad 59-22 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Panthers were down 34-11.