Senior Megan Matthews has experienced her share of defeat as a four-year starter in the girls basketball program at Boulder High School. Perhaps none more memorable than her team’s 36-point loss on Fairview’s home floor two years ago.

Back on the same hardwood Thursday night, some things never change. “From Boulder High, we really don’t like this gym,” she said. But, at the same time, a lot for Matthews and the Panthers has — evident as Boulder beat the Knights for the third straight time and second this season, 44-25.

“This has been my chance to rewrite that story from two years ago,” she said following her team’s fourth win in five games. “And the team did a great job of doing that.”

The Panthers improved to 8-19 in the rivalry since 2007. Thursday marked their first three-game winning streak in the series during that span.

Matthews scored all nine of her points in the opening half, helping to put the Panthers up 25-9 at the break. Sophomores Lexi Oder and Remi Kingdom — who, along with second-year coach Tobin Skenandore, Matthews gives much of the credit for the Panthers’ recent turnaround — led the way with 12 and 10.

Their fanbase, which showed up to Fairview in large numbers, serenaded the gymnasium with victory chants as Boulder’s lead grew to as many as 28 in the third quarter.

“That was the best feeling ever,” Matthews smiled.

Of course, the Panthers, looking to snap a playoff drought since 2016, still have more to do if they hope to crack 6A’s 40-team field this winter. But things look promising.

Boulder (7-6) came into the night ranked inside the projected 6A state field at 37th. Fairview (8-4) was 38th.

In the Panthers’ latest win, Matthews more than doubled the Knights’ offensive output in the second quarter with seven points, including two 3s. Fairview finished the frame with just three points.

Oder helped take over from there.

The sophomore, who is averaging 17.5 points over the team’s last four wins and nearly 14 points per game this season, scored the final five points before the half to push Boulder’s lead to 12. The last two came after she got her own rebound after missing a pair of free throws. She went back to the rim and got back to the line, where, this time, she sank both.

She then came out of the break and scored another bucket in the first five seconds of the third. And later, she made a 3 to make 37-9 with 5:07 left in the frame.

“The seniors are a major part of our program and have put in so much work no matter what the circumstances have been,” Oder said. “It’s nice to see them get good outcomes like this.”

Fairview had won five of six coming into the night but could never find an offensive rhythm. It’ll look to rebound when it visits Silver Creek on Tuesday.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are at 5A No. 10 Riverdale Ridge on Tuesday. The Ravens won the 4A title a year ago and are led by ESPN five-star prospect Brihanna Crittendon. But they plan to hold their own.

“The only thing I’ve done is give them an opportunity to be who they are,” Skenandore said. “It’s been all them. They’ve done all the right things.”