Basketball Game Preview: Caney Creek Panthers vs. Willis Wildkats

Caney Creek is 1-9 against Willis since November of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Caney Creek Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Willis Wildkats at 7:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Caney Creek is headed into Tuesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Saturday. They took a blow against Grand Oaks, falling 69-33. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 1060th, while the Grizzlies are ranked 76th).

Meanwhile, Willis came up short against Grand Oaks on Wednesday and fell 60-51.

Caney Creek will need focus on slowing down SJ Young, one of several Willis players who made an impact when they last played. He dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. Young is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Chandler Beasley, who went 5 of 12 on his way to 12 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Willis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive matches.

Caney Creek's defeat dropped their record down to 5-19. As for Willis, their loss was their fifth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 13-9.

Caney Creek was taken down by Willis 94-65 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. Will Caney Creek have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.