Basketball Game Preview: Zanesville Blue Devils vs. Licking Valley Panthers

Zanesville is 2-8 against Licking Valley since January of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Blue Devils will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 3:00 p.m. Licking Valley took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Zanesville, who comes in off a win.

On Wednesday, Zanesville was fully in charge, breezing past Lakewood 65-34. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 307th, while the Lancers are ranked 752nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Licking Valley came up short against Heath on Wednesday and fell 45-33. The game marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Licking Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Zanesville, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Zanesville couldn't quite get it done against Licking Valley in their previous meeting back in February of 2025 as they fell 60-53. Can the Blue Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.