Basketball Game Preview: Nickerson Panthers vs. Hesston Swathers

Nickerson hasn't had much luck against Hesston recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Nickerson Panthers will square off against the Hesston Swathers at 7:30 p.m.

Nickerson is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game on Friday. They came up short against Hoisington, falling 61-35. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 285th, while the Cardinals are ranked 121st).

Meanwhile, Hesston waltzed into their game on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Buffaloes by a score of 48-40.

Hesston's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.3 points over those games. As for Nickerson, their loss dropped their record down to 2-16.

Nickerson was dealt a bruising 76-33 defeat at the hands of Hesston in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Nickerson avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.