Basketball Game Preview: Pioneer Panthers vs. West Central Trojans

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Previous Games

02/24/24 - Home	58-35 W
01/20/23 - Away	44-77 L
01/21/22 - Home	71-58 W
01/22/21 - Away	71-31 W
01/24/20 - Home	80-35 W
+ 5 more games

Pioneer is 9-1 against West Central since March of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Pioneer Panthers will face off against the West Central Trojans at 7:30 p.m.

Pioneer is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest defeat since December 6, 2024 on Saturday. They came up short against Carroll, falling 54-34. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 29-9.

Meanwhile, West Central entered their tilt with Caston on Saturday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They escaped with a win against the Comets by the margin of a single free throw, 69-68.

West Central's win came from a few key players Pioneer will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brendan Grindstaff, who went 7 for 13 on his way to 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryce Nannenga, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten boards.

West Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Caston only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.

West Central's win bumped their record up to 9-3. As for Pioneer, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-6.

Pioneer took their victory against West Central in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 58-35. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was West Central's Jayden Miller, who went 6 of 10 en route to 21 points and five rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Pioneer still be able to contain Miller? There's only one way to find out.