Basketball Game Preview: Putnam County Panthers vs. Dwight Trojans

The Putnam County Panthers will challenge the Dwight Trojans at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 48-20, which was the final score in Putnam County's tilt against Seneca on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 498th, while the Fighting Irish are ranked 163rd).

Meanwhile, Dwight came up short against St. Bede on Saturday and fell 46-39. The Trojans have struggled against the Bruins recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.

Dwight's loss dropped their record down to 11-10. As for Putnam County, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 15 of their last 17 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-18 record this season.

Putnam County came up short against Dwight in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 40-36. Can Putnam County avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.