Basketball Game Preview: Lena-Winslow Panthers vs. Dakota Indians

Lena-Winslow and Dakota are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The Lena-Winslow Panthers will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Dakota Indians at 6:45 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

On Wednesday, Lena-Winslow didn't have too much trouble with Durand as they won 71-57. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 282nd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 697th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Dakota had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.2 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Broncos 62-31. The Indians have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 20 points or more this season.

Dakota pushed their record up to 20-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.2 points per game. As for Lena-Winslow, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 14-7.

Lena-Winslow came up short against Dakota in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 66-55. Will Lena-Winslow have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.