Basketball Game Preview: Marysville Monarchs vs. Hilliard Darby Panthers

The Marysville Monarchs will head out on the road to face off against the Hilliard Darby Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Marysville turned things around against Hilliard Bradley on Tuesday. They walked away with a 54-47 victory over the Jaguars.

Meanwhile, Hilliard Darby had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.7 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 51-41. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 4-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Hilliard Darby's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.7 points per game. As for Marysville, their victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-6.

Marysville beat Hilliard Darby 58-49 when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Does Marysville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hilliard Darby turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.