Basketball Game Preview: Hutchinson Salthawks vs. Derby Panthers

Hutchinson is 0-10 against Derby since February of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Hutchinson Salthawks will square off against the Derby Panthers at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Tuesday, Hutchinson earned a 41-30 victory over Valley Center. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Salthawks.

Meanwhile, Derby entered their tilt with Haysville Campus on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Colts 73-30. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 16th, while the Colts are ranked 254th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Derby pushed their record up to 14-2 with the win, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Hutchinson, their victory bumped their record up to 9-5.

Things could have been worse for Hutchinson, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 51-34 loss to Derby when the teams last played back in January. Can Hutchinson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.