Basketball Game Preview: Illini Central Cougars vs. Delavan Panthers

Illini Central is 1-9 against Delavan since January of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Illini Central Cougars take on the Delavan Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Illini Central will bounce into Saturday's matchup after beating New Berlin, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Illini Central managed a 58-53 victory over New Berlin on Friday.

Meanwhile, Delavan entered their tilt with Mt. Pulaski last Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They took down the Hilltoppers 59-45.

Illini Central better keep an eye on Kelton Nafzinger. He was instrumental in Delavan's win, going 9 of 12 on his way to 19 points and six rebounds. The dominant performance gave Nafzinger a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Grady Burrell, who posted 11 points and six boards.

Delavan pushed their record up to 8-15 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.3 points per game. As for Illini Central, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-8 record this season.

Illini Central strolled past Delavan in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 by a score of 64-49. Does Illini Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Delavan turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.