Basketball Game Preview: Craig Panthers vs. Metlakatla Chiefs

Craig is 1-9 against Metlakatla since January of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Craig Panthers will face off against the Metlakatla Chiefs at 7:00 p.m.

Craig is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Saturday. They took a 62-52 hit to the loss column at the hands of Skagway.

Meanwhile, Metlakatla entered their tilt with Petersburg on Saturday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They enjoyed a cozy 44-29 win over the Vikings. Given the Chiefs' advantage in MaxPreps' Alaska basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Vikings are ranked 91st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Metlakatla's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.3 points over those games. As for Craig, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-6.

Craig couldn't quite finish off Metlakatla in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 and fell 64-62. Can Craig avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.