Basketball Game Preview: Port Allegany Gators vs. Austin Panthers

Port Allegany is 8-2 against Austin since January of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Gators will be defending their home court for the first time this season when they go up against the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. The timing is sure in Port Allegany's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Austin has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.

Port Allegany fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Coudersport on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 50-44 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Falcons. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Despite their defeat, Port Allegany saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jarrod Funk, who shot 42% from the field on his way to 15 points and eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. That was a full 34.1% of the Gators' points, marking the fourth time in a row Funk has posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Isac Amell, who had five points and eight boards.

Meanwhile, Austin lost to Coudersport at home by a 48-32 margin on Wednesday.

Austin's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Port Allegany, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.

Everything went Port Allegany's way against Austin in their previous meeting back in February, as Port Allegany made off with a 66-43 victory. Will the Gators repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.