Basketball Game Preview: Southwest DeKalb Panthers vs. Tucker Tigers

A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Southwest DeKalb Panthers face off against the Tucker Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday... Southwest DeKalb is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.

While Southwest DeKalb didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victor by a 54-34 margin over Marist on Tuesday. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 12th, while the War Eagles are ranked 160th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Southwest DeKalb can attribute much of their success to Thomas Glanton, III, who went 5 for 7 on his way to 13 points in addition to six assists and three steals, and Kelvin Peek, III, who went 8 for 12 on his way to 17 points and eight rebounds. Glanton, III is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Nazir Mergan, who posted seven points.

Meanwhile, Tucker lost to Jonesboro on the road by a 83-66 margin on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost five in a row.

Southwest DeKalb pushed their record up to 9-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Tucker, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3.

Southwest DeKalb came up short against Tucker in their previous meeting back in November of 2019, falling 68-60. Can Southwest DeKalb avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.