Preview: Phillipsburg Panthers vs. Smith Center Redmen
Phillipsburg is 10-0 against Smith Center since January of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Phillipsburg Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Smith Center Redmen at 7:00 p.m. Hopefully Phillipsburg focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 12 on Tuesday.
Phillipsburg struggled with assists on Tuesday (Hoisington had 13 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Phillipsburg took a hard 67-50 fall against Hoisington. Phillipsburg has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the loss, Phillipsburg had strong showings from Rhett Shelton, who scored 14 points along with two steals, and Caden Seems, who scored ten points along with two blocks. Ryan Babcock was another key contributor, scoring five points.
Meanwhile, Smith Center was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 51-45 to Hill City.
Despite their loss, Smith Center saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Daveyon Orr, who scored nine points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Brant Wilson, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds.
Phillipsburg's loss dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Smith Center, they dropped their record down to 3-8 with that loss, which was their 12th straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Phillipsburg have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Smith Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Phillipsburg strolled past Smith Center when the teams last played back in January of 2023 by a score of 57-38. The rematch might be a little tougher for Phillipsburg since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
