Basketball Game Preview: Illini West Chargers vs. Havana Ducks

Illini West is 2-8 against Havana since December of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Illini West Chargers will challenge the Havana Ducks at 7:30 p.m. Illini West is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.

On Tuesday, Illini West beat Pleasant Hill/Western 50-37.

Meanwhile, Havana entered their tilt with Astoria/VIT on Monday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They took their game with ease, bagging a 54-22 win over the Rebels. The Ducks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 27 points or more this season.

Havana is also on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 18-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.7 points per game. As for Illini West, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-12.

Things could have been worse for Illini West, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 50-31 loss to Havana in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Can Illini West avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.