Basketball Game Preview: Redmond Panthers vs. Bend Lava Bears

Redmond is 8-2 against Bend since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Redmond Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Bend Lava Bears at 7:00 p.m. Redmond will be strutting in after a win while Bend will be coming in after a loss.

Last Tuesday, Redmond didn't have too much trouble with Ridgeview as they won 66-52. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Oregon basketball rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Ravens are ranked 93rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Bend was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They were outmatched by Summit and fell 74-46. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Lava Bears have suffered since February 22, 2024.

Redmond will need to focus on slowing down Spencer Dildine, one of several Bend players who made an impact when they last played. He posted eight points and eight rebounds. Dildine is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 46% in the last 14 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Caleb Unruh, who put up 13 points.

Even though they lost, Bend smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Bend's defeat dropped their record down to 8-12. As for Redmond, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season.

Redmond beat Bend 68-60 in their previous meeting back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Redmond since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.