Hilltop is 0-10 against the Panthers since January of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Hilltop Cadets are on the road again and plays the Stryker Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Tuesday, Hilltop took a serious blow against the Hawks, falling 71-37. Hilltop was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-16.
Meanwhile, Stryker came up short against the Blue Streaks on Tuesday and fell 53-43. While losing is never fun, Stryker can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 580th, while the Blue Streaks are ranked 167th).
Hilltop's loss dropped their record down to 7-7. As for Stryker, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-8 record this season.
Hilltop ended up a good deal behind the Panthers when the teams last played back in December of 2023, losing 61-47. Can Hilltop avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
