Basketball Game Preview: Lumberton Panthers vs. Simmons Blue Devils

The Lumberton Panthers will square off against the Simmons Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Lumberton is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They blew past Mount Olive 51-12. The Panthers have beaten the Pirates the last seven times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Pirates has come to flipping the script.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Simmons against Ethel on Monday as the team secured a 66-29 win. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 109th, while the Tigers are ranked 251st) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lumberton's victory bumped their record up to 14-9. As for Simmons, their win bumped their record up to 23-3.

Lumberton couldn't quite get it done against Simmons in their previous meeting back in February of 2025 as they fell 59-50. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.