Basketball Game Preview: Pikesville Panthers vs. Southern Rams

The Pikesville Panthers will face off against the Southern Rams at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Pikesville is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 59-33 margin over Forest Park. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Foresters: they've now won four in a row.

Mariah Jones-Bey

Steals

03/11/25 vs Forest Park	5
03/07/25 vs Patterson Mill	7
03/05/25 vs Western Tech & Environmental Science	10
03/03/25 vs SEED	8
02/25/25 vs Milford Mill Academy	5
+ 21 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Pikesville to victory, but perhaps none more so than Mariah Jones-Bey, who shot 50% from the field to rack up 17 points along with six boards and five steals. Jones-Bey is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ka'Nai Pyatt, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Pikesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.

Meanwhile, Southern faced Smithsburg in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Southern put the hurt on Smithsburg with a sharp 60-37 win. Winning may never get old, but the Rams sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.

Pikesville's record now sits at 23-3. As for Southern, their record now sits at 24-2.

Pikesville was able to grind out a solid victory over Southern in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, winning 48-39. Will Pikesville repeat their success, or does Southern have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.