Basketball Game Preview: Effingham Hearts vs. Mt. Zion Braves

The Effingham Hearts will square off against the Mt. Zion Braves at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Effingham fought the good fight in their overtime match against Taylorville on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 67-57 to the Tornadoes.

Meanwhile, Mt. Zion can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They strolled past Charleston with points to spare, taking the game 74-56. Given the Braves' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 38th, while the Trojans are ranked 383rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Mt. Zion pushed their record up to 13-4 with the victory, which was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.7 points per game. As for Effingham, their loss dropped their record down to 6-12.

Effingham might still be hurting after the 76-53 defeat they got from Mt. Zion when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Can Effingham avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.