Preview: Modesto Panthers vs. Gregori Jaguars
Modesto is 1-9 against Gregori since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Modesto Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Gregori Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. Modesto is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
Modesto suffered their biggest defeat since December 7, 2023 on Wednesday. They were the victim of a rough 74-54 loss at the hands of Downey. Modesto has not had much luck with Downey recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Meanwhile, Gregori was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 57-51 to Enochs.
Despite the defeat, Gregori saw an underclassman step up: Jayson Powers dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. Powers has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Kaleb Smith, who scored nine points along with four steals.
Modesto has not been sharp recently, as they've lost 11 of their last 12 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-14 record this season. As for Gregori, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-10.
Modesto ended up a good deal behind Gregori in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, losing 87-73. Thankfully for Modesto, Paul Contreras (who shot 4-for-8 from downtown and dropped a double-double on 45 points and ten rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
