Basketball Game Preview: Wright Panthers vs. Pine Bluffs Hornets

Wright hasn't had much luck against Pine Bluffs recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Wright Panthers will square off against the Pine Bluffs Hornets at 2:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Back in December of 2024, Wright escaped with a win against Big Piney by the margin of a single free throw, 47-46.

Wright had a senior duo take command as Briana Meza dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds and Anaeli Salas went 7 of 17 on her way to 19 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Salas has scored all season.

Wright smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Pine Bluffs won against South back in December of 2024 with 49 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Saturday. Pine Bluffs came out on top against Alliance by a score of 49-40. Given the Hornets' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 23rd in Wyoming, while the Bulldogs are ranked 260th in Nebraska), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

The victory got Wright back to even at 4-4. As for Pine Bluffs, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-3.

Wright skirted past Pine Bluffs 40-38 in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Wright since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.