After both having extra time off, the Maple Grove Red Dragons and the Panama Panthers will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on January 4th. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Back in December of 2023, Maple Grove didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Clymer Central, but they still walked away with a 47-41 victory. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Maple Grove.
Even though Panama has not done well against Frewsburg recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way back in December of 2023. Panama walked away with a 71-62 win over Frewsburg. Given Panama's advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 186th, while Frewsburg is ranked 504th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Carter Brink was his usual excellent self, scoring 38 points along with seven rebounds and five assists. That makes it five consecutive games in which he has scored at least 25% of Panama's points. Bryce Hinsdale was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with seven assists.
Maple Grove's victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-0. As for Panama, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Maple Grove was taken down by Panama 70-29 in their previous matchup back in January of 2023. Thankfully for Maple Grove, Gabe Roth (who scored 16 points along with four steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
