Basketball Game Preview: Illini West Chargers vs. Havana Ducks

The Illini West Chargers will take on the Havana Ducks at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Saturday, Illini West was able to grind out a solid win over Abingdon/Avon, taking the game 50-42. The Chargers haven't had any issues with the Tornadoes recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Ethan Carlisle

Points

02/01/25 @ Abingdon/Avon	20
01/28/25 @ Quincy Notre Dame	13
01/21/25 vs Liberty	7
01/18/25 @ Hamilton/Warsaw	11
01/17/25 vs Mendon Unity	9
+ 31 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Illini West to victory, but perhaps none more so than Ethan Carlisle, who went 7 of 13 to rack up 20 points. That's the most points Carlisle has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tre Neiderman, who earned 11 points and five assists.

Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Havana beat Cuba/Spoon River Valley 45-40 on Friday.

Havana's win bumped their record up to 6-18. As for Illini West, their victory bumped their record up to 17-8.

Illini West strolled past Havana when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a score of 45-27. Will Illini West repeat their success, or does Havana have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.