The Derby Panthers won against the Salina Central Mustangs last Tuesday with 44 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Derby took down the Mustangs 44-30. Given Derby's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 33rd, while the Mustangs are ranked 135th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Derby's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaden Wilson, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Destiny Smith was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with two steals.
Despite the loss, Salina Central still got an impressive performance from Azbey Peckham, who scored ten points along with two blocks. It was the first time this season that Peckham posted two or more blocks. Another player making a difference was Saniya Triplett, who scored five points along with four steals.
Salina Central struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Derby racked up 12 assists.
The victory was the third in a row for Derby, bringing their record for this year to 10-2. As for Salina Central, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Derby will take on the Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Salina Central, they will head out on the road to challenge the Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Andover Central focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up eight on Friday.
