Basketball Game Preview: Herscher Tigers vs. Manteno Panthers

The Herscher Tigers just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Manteno Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Herscher has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Manteno will arrive with 14 straight victories.

On Wednesday, Herscher lost to Watseka/Milford at home by a 49-32 margin. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 341st, while the Warriors are ranked 147th).

Meanwhile, Manteno humbled Newark with a 51-20 victory. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 20 points or more this season.

Manteno pushed their record up to 14-0 with the win, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Herscher, their loss dropped their record down to 10-6.

Herscher came up short against Manteno when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 40-30. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Manteno's Maddie Gesky, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 18 rebounds. Now that Herscher knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.