NAUGATUCK — It was no contest on Saturday night at Tug Valley as the host Panthers ripped the Man High School basketball team 86-49 at the Tug Valley High School gym in Naugatuck.

The Class A No. 4 Panthers, which had lost a controversial 63-61 game to Class AAA Greenbrier East last Friday night at Logan’s King Coal Classic, seemed to take it out on the Class A sectional foe Hillbillies.

Tug Valley improved to 11-3 on the season. Man dropped to 4-11.

The Panthers swept the season series with the Billies also winning by a similar 82-49 score at Man.

Tug Valley jumped out to a commanding 34-7 lead after the first quarter and put it in cruise control the rest of the game.

Thomas Baisden led the Panthers with 19 points, while Austin Brewer added 17 and Mikey Newsome 16.

Chris Justice led Man with 13 points. John Thomas Keffer and Jake Adkins had 11 each for the Billies.

The Panthers outscored Man 16-12 in the second to take a 50-19 lead at the half. A 23-12 edge in the third pushed the Panther advantage to 73-31. Man outscored TVHS 18-13 in the fourth.

The Billies are scheduled to return to action on Tuesday night at Valley Fayette in the first round of the Class A West Virginia Hometown Invitational Tournament. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Tug Valley hosts Huntington St. Joe on Tuesday night.

The Panthers were coming off last Friday night’s two-point loss to Greenbrier East at Logan.

Greenbrier East won it in dramatic fashion as Rondale Watson banked home a halfcourt 3-point shot at the buzzer. Tug Valley thought the basket should have been disallowed as it appeared as if the ball had not left Watson’s hands as the final horn went off.