Basketball Game Preview: Olentangy Braves vs. Hilliard Darby Panthers

The Olentangy Braves will challenge the Hilliard Darby Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Olentangy has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Last Friday, Olentangy made easy work of Marysville and carried off a 72-46 win. The Braves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 21 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hilliard Darby, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 52-33 victory over Dublin Scioto on Tuesday. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 108th, while the Irish are ranked 439th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Olentangy's win was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.4 points per game. As for Hilliard Darby, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season.

Everything came up roses for Olentangy against Hilliard Darby in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 67-30 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Olentangy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.