Basketball Game Preview: Buna Cougars vs. Anahuac Panthers

Buna is 10-0 against Anahuac since February of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Buna Cougars duke it out with the Anahuac Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Anahuac took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Buna, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Buna turned things around against Kirbyville on Friday. They blew past the Wildcats 71-34. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 595th, while the Wildcats are ranked 1212th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Buna can attribute much of their success to Brynn Branch, who posted 19 points and six steals, and Jaiden Epps, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 boards. The dominant performance gave Epps a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Harlee Everett, who went 5 of 11 on her way to 13 points.

Buna was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Anahuac was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 18th straight loss dating back to last season. They were outmatched by East Chambers and fell 46-6. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-3.

Anahuac's defeat dropped their record down to 0-8. As for Buna, their win bumped their record up to 18-11.

Everything came up roses for Buna against Anahuac in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 53-5 victory. In that match, Buna amassed a halftime lead of 29-5, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.