Basketball Game Preview: Southern Rams vs. Pikesville Panthers

The Southern Rams will square off against the Pikesville Panthers at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Southern is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 60-37 margin over Smithsburg. Winning may never get old, but the Rams sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.

Meanwhile, Pikesville came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 33.8 points), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Foresters 59-33. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Foresters are ranked 61st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Pikesville's win came from a few key players Southern will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mariah Jones-Bey, who shot 50% from the field en route to 17 points along with six boards and five steals. Jones-Bey is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Ka'Nai Pyatt, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Pikesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds every time they've taken the court this season.

Southern's win bumped their record up to 24-2. As for Pikesville, their victory bumped their record up to 23-3.

Southern couldn't quite get it done against Pikesville when the teams last played back in March of 2024 as they fell 48-39. Can Southern avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.