Basketball Game Preview: Athens Wildcats vs. Northeast Bradford Panthers

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Athens Wildcats challenge the Northeast Bradford Panthers at 7:15 p.m. on Friday... Northeast Bradford took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Athens, who comes in off a win.

On Wednesday, Athens earned a 52-41 victory over Canton.

Athens' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but James Friend led the charge by going 5 for 7 on his way to 12 points in addition to seven boards and five blocks. The dominant performance gave Friend a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Adam Kemp, who posted nine points along with six steals and five assists.

Meanwhile, Northeast Bradford played a tough contest on Wednesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against North Penn-Mansfield, falling 74-49. The Panthers have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Northeast Bradford's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-5. As for Athens, their win bumped their record up to 4-10.

Everything came up roses for Athens against Northeast Bradford in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the squad secured an 80-43 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Athens since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.