Basketball Game Preview: Smiths Station Panthers vs. Oxford Yellow Jackets

Having just played yesterday, the Smiths Station Panthers will jump right back in to play the Oxford Yellow Jackets at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Smiths Station made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Hardaway, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Panthers fell just short of the Hawks by a score of 48-46 on Friday. The Panthers just can't catch a break and have now endured five losses in a row dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Oxford gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Wednesday. They claimed a resounding 61-32 win over Central of Clay County. The Yellow Jackets haven't had any issues with the Volunteers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Smiths Station better keep an eye on TaKayvia Boyd. She was instrumental in Oxford's win, dropping a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Savannah Carter, who went 6-for-10 to rack up 16 points and three steals.

Oxford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Smiths Station was dealt a bruising 59-25 defeat at the hands of Oxford when the teams last played back in December of 2019. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.