Basketball Game Preview: Stafford Indians vs. Massaponax Panthers

Stafford is 1-9 against Massaponax since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Stafford Indians will challenge the Massaponax Panthers at 6:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Stafford will bounce into Friday's contest after beating North Stafford, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Stafford put the hurt on North Stafford with a sharp 54-34 victory on Wednesday. The Indians have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Olivia Ferguson

Rebounds

02/05/25 @ North Stafford	11
02/04/25 @ Riverbend	14
01/30/25 vs North Stafford	12
01/27/25 vs Hylton	9
01/24/25 @ Brooke Point	15

Stafford found their leader in freshman Olivia Ferguson, who dropped a triple-double on 15 points, 11 boards, and 11 steals. Ferguson is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 12 games she's played. Sanaa Jenkins was another key player, going 5 for 12 on her way to 14 points and seven boards.

Stafford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in six consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Massaponax entered their tilt with North Stafford on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They took down the Wolverines 47-33.

Stafford better keep an eye on Jada Johnson. She was instrumental in Massaponax's win, putting up 14 points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Gabby Razor, who posted eight points and three steals.

Stafford has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.2 points per game. As for Massaponax, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-10.

Stafford was able to grind out a solid victory over Massaponax in their previous matchup back in January, winning 40-27. The rematch might be a little tougher for Stafford since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.