Basketball Game Preview: Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers vs. Illini Central Cougars

Mt. Pulaski and Illini Central are an even 5-5 against one another since November of 2018, but not for long. The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers will be playing at home against the Illini Central Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Mt. Pulaski came up short against Heyworth and fell 65-53. The Hilltoppers haven't had much luck with the Hornets recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Illini Central). They escaped with a win on Thursday against Lutheran by the margin of a single free throw, 83-82. The win was familiar territory for the Cougars who have now won three contests in a row.

Illini Central has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Mt. Pulaski, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.

Everything went Mt. Pulaski's way against Illini Central when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as Mt. Pulaski made off with a 59-37 victory. Does Mt. Pulaski have another victory up their sleeve, or will Illini Central turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.