Basketball Game Preview: Perry Panthers vs. McKinley Bulldogs

Perry hasn't had much luck against McKinley recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Perry Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the McKinley Bulldogs at 6:45 p.m. McKinley took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Perry, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Perry turned things around against Tuslaw on Saturday. They took down the Mustangs 68-54. That looming 68-54 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.

Meanwhile, McKinley ended up a good deal behind GlenOak on Friday and lost 55-41. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Bulldogs came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 146th, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 306th).

Perry will have to keep a close watch on Mya Taylor and K'Lynn Carter, a pair of players who had a big impact on McKinley's prior game. Taylor posted 18 points and eight steals, while Carter earned seven points and 14 rebounds. Taylor's evening made it 12 games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Sha'Rayla Hall, who scored six points.

McKinley has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-11 record this season. As for Perry, their win ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-8.

Perry came up short against McKinley in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 66-58. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Taylor, who went 13 for 31 en route to 34 points in addition to six boards and three steals. Now that Perry knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.