Basketball Game Preview: Oakley Plainsmen vs. Phillipsburg Panthers

Oakley hasn't had much luck against Phillipsburg recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Oakley Plainsmen will be taking part in a tournament against the Phillipsburg Panthers at 6:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Oakley sitting on six straight wins and Phillipsburg on four.

If Oakley beats Phillipsburg with 45 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. Oakley was the clear victor by a 45-22 margin over Thomas More Prep-Marian on Tuesday. The Plainsmen have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 23 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Phillipsburg earned a 33-22 victory over Norton on Tuesday. The 33-point effort marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Oakley's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-3. As for Phillipsburg, their victory bumped their record up to 9-2.

Oakley couldn't quite finish off Phillipsburg when the teams last played back in December of 2024 and fell 36-34. Can Oakley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.