Derby beat Newton Railers 58-31 at home on Tuesday.

The Panthers started off hot to set the tone for the game with a 14-1 lead early in the first quarter. The run included a dunk by junior Kaden Franklin that got the crowd out of their seats, as well as a block by junior Dallas Metzger that excited the Derby bench. 

“I feel like we came out offensively and hit shots, but defensively we didn’t really start out good enough,” senior starter Kaeson Fisher-Brown said. “I think that our offense held us together in the beginning though.”

The Panthers’ run was stopped by a three from Dellen Claaseen, who ended the night with 10 points along with Cole Dillon. 

For Derby, the Panthers found the open man and made shots. 

Metzger finished with 15 points. Franklin followed with 14. 

From tip-off to the final second of the clock, the Panthers high energy earned them another win. 

The defensive presence was also strong for Derby with multiple deflections, steals and blocks coming from the team. Senior Cooper Chadwick finished with four steals. Franklin had four blocks, along with senior Kaeson Fisher-Brown and sophomore Jack Ulwelling, who each had a block.

“That was what we wanted. We wanted to focus primarily on stops, and the offense taking care of itself after that,” Fisher-Brown said. “We could out-talent them, but when we lock in defensively and take that next step towards being elite, then we’ll be great.”