The Phillipsburg Panthers will head out to face off against the Norton Bluejays at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Phillipsburg took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Trego by a score of 53-45.
Meanwhile, after only 29 points in their last game, Norton made sure to put some points up on the board against Oakley on Tuesday. Norton strolled past Oakley with points to spare, taking the game 63-44. Given the Bluejays' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 86th, while the Plainsmen are ranked 230th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Phillipsburg better keep an eye on Eli Jones. He was instrumental in Norton's win, dropping a double-double on 19 points and 15 boards. Jones is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Rylen Murray was another key player, putting up 14 points.
Norton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Norton has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.0 points per game. As for Phillipsburg, their record now sits at 4-5.
Phillipsburg came out on top in a nail-biter against Norton in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, sneaking past 54-52. Will Phillipsburg repeat their success, or does Norton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
