Preview: Shields Panthers vs. McKenzie Tigers
Shields is 9-1 against McKenzie since January of 2020, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Shields Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the McKenzie Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Shields is coming into the contest on a five-game losing streak.
Shields suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Saturday. They had to suffer through a rough 81-45 loss at the hands of Hillcrest. While losing is never fun, Shields can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Alabama basketball rankings (they are ranked 251st, while Hillcrest is ranked 75th).
Meanwhile, McKenzie came up short against Red Level on Tuesday and fell 64-54. McKenzie has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Jaylen Mcmillian, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Quay Jackson, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Shields has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-10 record this season. As for McKenzie, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
Shields strolled past McKenzie when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a score of 48-33. Will Shields repeat their success, or does McKenzie have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
