The Derby boys basketball team started its season on the road at McPherson.

It wasn’t easy.

Starting off the season with away games brings a smaller following to cheer on the team.

“I think it makes a difference for the student section. There wasn’t very many in the student section, but I appreciate them coming either way,” junior Clayton Hood said.

The starting line up for Derby, which lost to McPherson (2-0) 73-58, showcased more underclassmen than last season with Hood and sophomores Tre Washington and Grant Adler.

“I was really nervous, especially being in the roundhouse in McPherson, that was super scary, it’s the loudest gym in the state of Kansas, just trying to keep my cool as much as I could,” Hood said.

Seven seniors graduated in May, putting a fairly young team out on the court this season.

“It’s a work in progress as you saw on Tuesday, we don’t know all about what we’re doing but we’re gonna try and get a good season,” Hood said.

Derby senior Tyler Brown scored a team-high 18 points, while Hood had 11.

Also playing in their first game for Derby were four transfers — Brown, Emilio Valentin and Bryant Mocaby, all seniors, along with junior Jared Mocaby.

“I love them, they’re so cool, they don’t care about their stats or whatever they just want to win, that’s really all you could ask for,” Hood said.

The first quarter was riddled with fouls on both sides of the court and only 11 points from the Panthers.

There was a three-minute McPherson run in the second quarter when the Bullpups scored eight unanswered points.

By halftime the Panthers trailed 43-21. They held McPherson to just five points in the first five minutes of the third. But over the final three minutes, it was a defensive struggle as the Bullpups scored 13. McPherson added 12, Derby 21, in the final period.