Basketball Game Preview: Jacksonville Fightin' Indians vs. Lufkin Panthers

Jacksonville hasn't had much luck against Lufkin recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Jacksonville Fightin' Indians will welcome the Lufkin Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Tuesday, Jacksonville was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 61-55 to Tyler HEAT. While losing is never fun, the Fightin' Indians can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 610th, while Tyler HEAT are ranked 102nd).

Meanwhile, Lufkin came tearing into Tuesday's match with 28 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 73-30 win over the Mavericks. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 16 games by 20 points or more this season.

Lufkin's victory was their tenth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 32-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.2 points per game. As for Jacksonville, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-19.

Jacksonville was taken down by Lufkin 81-51 when the teams last played back in January. Will Jacksonville have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.