Basketball Game Preview: Smithsburg Leopards vs. Liberty Lions

The Smithsburg Leopards will venture away from home to challenge the Liberty Lions at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Last Tuesday, Smithsburg was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 44-40 to Brunswick. The defeat continues a trend for the Leopards in their matchups with the Railroaders: they've now lost three in a row.

Meanwhile, Liberty came tearing into Tuesday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15 points), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on Walkersville with a sharp 73-49 win. Liberty has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 23 points or more this season.

Liberty pushed their record up to 12-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.0 points over those games. As for Smithsburg, their loss dropped their record down to 7-12.

Smithsburg beat Liberty 75-65 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Smithsburg since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.