Basketball Game Preview: Man Hillbillies vs. Clay County Panthers

The Man Hillbillies are taking a road trip to face off against the Clay County Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Man is coming into the game hot, having won their last eight games.

Man is headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing Richwood: they outscored them in every quarter. Man was the clear victor by a 63-41 margin over Richwood on Saturday. The Hillbillies have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 21 points or more this season.

Man's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Trey Ward led the charge by going 6 of 13 en route to 13 points in addition to six assists and four steals. Ward is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Moses Hicks was another key player, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Man smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive boards in eight consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Clay County came up short against Man on Friday and fell 65-52. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Hillbillies 21-8 in the first quarter.

Clay County dropped their record down to 3-9 with the defeat, which was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Man, their win bumped their record up to 11-3.

Man was able to grind out a solid victory over Clay County in their previous matchup on Friday, winning 65-52. The rematch might be a little tougher for Man since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.