Preview: Joliet West Tigers vs. Plainfield Central Wildcats
Joliet West is 9-1 against Plainfield Central since January of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Joliet West Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Plainfield Central Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Plainfield Central took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Joliet West, who comes in off a win.
Joliet West scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Plainfield East 83-49 at home. The victory was just what Joliet West needed coming off of a 74-49 defeat in their prior game.
Joliet West's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Makayla Chism, who scored 30 points. Chism is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for four games straight. The team also got some help courtesy of Maziah Shelton, who scored 24 points.
Meanwhile, Plainfield Central's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their 11th straight loss. They took a serious blow against Plainfield South, falling 77-30. While losing is never fun, Plainfield Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 474th, while Plainfield South is ranked 130th).
Joliet West's victory bumped their record up to 14-12. As for Plainfield Central, their defeat was their ninth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 2-21.
Everything came up roses for Joliet West against Plainfield Central when the teams last played back in December of 2023 as the squad secured a 66-32 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Joliet West since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
