Basketball Game Preview: Smiths Station Panthers vs. Opelika Bulldogs

Smiths Station and Opelika are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. The Smiths Station Panthers will face off against the Opelika Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Smiths Station is coming into the contest on a five-game losing streak.

Smiths Station might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 90-59 to Central, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Alabama basketball rankings (they are ranked 112th, while the Red Devils are ranked fourth).

Opelika has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They were five points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 56-51 heartbreaker at the hands of Auburn.

Opelika's defeat dropped their record down to 18-5. As for Smiths Station, they now have a losing record at 10-11.

Smiths Station opened the new year with a less-than-successful 66-54 loss to Opelika. Can Smiths Station avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.