The Wiley Panthers will challenge the Kim/Branson Mustangs at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Wiley is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
Wiley is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took a 57-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of Kit Carson on Friday. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wildcats 21-15 in the first quarter.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Rhett McDonald, who posted 22 points. That was a full 44% of Wiley's points, marking the third time in a row he's had more than a third of the team's points. Grant Mauch was another key player, putting up eight points along with 11 boards and seven assists.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Kim/Branson, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They strolled past Trinidad with points to spare last Saturday, taking the game 62-48.
Kim/Branson's win came from a few key players Wiley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was David Gamez, who went 7 of 13 en route to 16 points and seven steals. That's the most steals he has posted since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Cameron Rosas, who went 5 for 9 on his way to 10 points in addition to seven assists and five steals.
Kim/Branson's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.4 points per game. As for Wiley, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Wiley has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 35.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Kim/Branson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Wiley came up short against Kim/Branson in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 54-46. Will Wiley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
