Basketball Game Preview: Simmons Blue Devils vs. Lumberton Panthers

The Simmons Blue Devils will square off against the Lumberton Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Simmons is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They breezed past Ethel to the tune of 66-29. The victory was nothing new for the Blue Devils as they're now sitting on 15 straight.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lumberton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They blew past Mount Olive, posting a 51-12 win. The Panthers have beaten the Pirates the last seven times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Pirates has come to flipping the script.

Simmons' victory bumped their record up to 23-3. As for Lumberton, their win bumped their record up to 14-9.

Simmons was able to grind out a solid victory over Lumberton when the teams last played back in February of 2025, winning 59-50. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.