Basketball Game Preview: Hershey Panthers vs. Chase County Longhorns

The Hershey Panthers will face off against the Chase County Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hershey is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.

On Friday, Hershey ended up a good deal behind Bridgeport and lost 65-46. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 201st, while the Bulldogs are ranked 67th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Chase County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They put the hurt on Holyoke with a sharp 70-49 win on Thursday.

Hershey better focus on containing Noah Rau and Lukas Fries as the pair were huge in Chase County's win. Rau went 8 for 13 on his way to 16 points and six boards, while Fries went 6 of 10 en route to 17 points. Rau's afternoon made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Carson Terryberry was another key player, putting up six points in addition to 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Chase County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Chase County pushed their record up to 8-9 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.8 points per game. As for Hershey, their loss dropped their record down to 2-13.

Hershey was dealt a bruising 71-34 defeat at the hands of Chase County in their previous meeting last Friday. Will Hershey have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.