Basketball Game Preview: Pinckneyville Panthers vs. Benton Rangers

The Pinckneyville Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Benton Rangers at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Pinckneyville is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games.

It was a proper cat-fight when Pinckneyville took on Anna-Jonesboro on Thursday. Pinckneyville came out on top against Anna-Jonesboro by a score of 53-40. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while the Wildcats are ranked 425th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Benton played a tough game on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 83-32 loss at the hands of Nashville. The Rangers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 50-24.

Pinckneyville pushed their record up to 18-6 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.2 points per game. As for Benton, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-13 record this season.

Pinckneyville strolled past Benton in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 59-42. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pinckneyville since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.