Basketball Game Preview: Jersey Panthers vs. Freeburg Midgets

The Jersey Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Freeburg Midgets at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Jersey is coming into the matchup on a five-game losing streak dating back to last season.

Jersey saw some tournament action on Friday. They took a 50-32 bruising from Marquette Catholic.

Despite their defeat, Jersey saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Shane Lamer, who posted eight points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Koenig, who earned six points.

Meanwhile, Freeburg strolled past Southwestern with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 53-38. The Midgets haven't had any issues with the Piasa Birds recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.

Freeburg's win came from a few key players Jersey will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dathan Krauss, who had 11 points in addition to eight rebounds and four steals. Krauss is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least three every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Brady Kerr, who shot 63% from the field to rack up 12 points.

Freeburg's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Jersey, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Jersey has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Freeburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 22 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.