Tug Valley secured a regular season sweep over Tucker County with a 63-43 home victory, extending their winning streak against the Mountain Lions to four games. Though the matchup remained competitive through the first half—with Tucker County briefly taking a 22-21 lead in the second quarter—the two-time defending Class A state champions pulled away behind a dominant 14-2 run to start the fourth quarter. Head coach Garland Thompson credited this surge to a high-pressure defense, highlighted by Bryson Elia’s multiple steals, which successfully converted turnovers into transition points.

The Panthers' offensive effort was spearheaded by Braydun Ferris, who delivered an efficient 30-point performance, supported by 15 points from Zade Rash. Despite coming off an exhausting stretch of four games in five days and an emotional overtime loss earlier in the week, Tug Valley showed resilience and high basketball IQ. While Cayden Arnold led Tucker County with 16 points, they were unable to overcome the Panthers' late-game momentum. Looking ahead to the postseason, Coach Thompson acknowledged the storied rivalry between the two programs, expressing his expectation to see the Mountain Lions again during the state tournament in March.