Basketball Game Preview: Hilliard Darby Panthers vs. Olentangy Braves

The Hilliard Darby Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Olentangy Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Hilliard Darby took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Dublin Scioto by a score of 64-55. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 52nd, while the Irish are ranked 561st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Olentangy came into Sunday's matchup having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 55-48 victory over Barberton on Sunday.

Olentangy found their leader in sophomore Ty Walburn, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. Those 11 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Walburn. The team also got some help courtesy of Jay Agrawal, who posted 12 points.

Hilliard Darby has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.7 points per game. As for Olentangy, their win bumped their record up to 11-7.

Hilliard Darby was able to grind out a solid victory over Olentangy in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, winning 69-61. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hilliard Darby since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.