Basketball Game Preview: Ripley Vikings vs. Tug Valley Panthers

The Ripley Vikings will be taking part in a tournament against the Tug Valley Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Ripley is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Greenbrier East back in December of 2024 (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Ripley was beaten by Greenbrier East 68-26. The Vikings were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 48-12.

Meanwhile, Tug Valley waltzed into their game on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They put the hurt on the Rebels with a sharp 54-33 win. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 21 points or more this season.

Ripley better focus on containing Bailee Hall and Makenzie Browning as the pair were huge in Tug Valley's win. Hall dropped a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Browning went 7 of 16 on her way to 20 points and four steals. What's more, Hall also racked up seven steals, the most she's had since back in January of 2024. Haven Deskins was another key player, putting up nine points.

Tug Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 16 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Tug Valley is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season. As for Ripley, their defeat was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-3.