Basketball Game Preview: Royal Valley Panthers vs. Hiawatha Red Hawks

Royal Valley and Hiawatha are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2019, but not for long. The Royal Valley Panthers will take on the Hiawatha Red Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hiawatha took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Royal Valley, who comes in off a win.

Royal Valley took a loss when they played away from home back in December of 2024, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They came out on top against Sabetha by a score of 47-34 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Royal Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Panno Wahwassuck led the charge by going 7 of 12 on her way to 20 points and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Wahwassuck is now averaging an impressive 15.2 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Samantha Klotz, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 boards.

Royal Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Hiawatha lost to Holton on the road by a 54-40 margin on Friday. The Red Hawks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Royal Valley's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.3 points per game. As for Hiawatha, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.

Royal Valley ended up a good deal behind Hiawatha when the teams last played back in February of 2024, losing 41-27. Can Royal Valley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.