Preview: South Effingham Mustangs vs. Lakeside Panthers
Having just played yesterday, the South Effingham Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Lakeside Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. South Effingham comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
South Effingham pushed their score all the way to 71 on Thursday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 83-71 hit to the loss column at the hands of Brunswick.
South Effingham's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Corbin McGuire, who scored 27 points, and Aidan Harris who scored 18 points. Harris continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Will Harlin, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, Lakeside pushed their score all the way to 55 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell to Effingham County 59-55. Lakeside has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lakeside's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Bryce Reynierson, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and two steals, and Ty Jones who scored 21 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Jones has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Grissom Jr, who scored six points along with four steals.
South Effingham's loss was their 16th straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 0-17. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.1 points per game. As for Lakeside, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-9.
Friday's match is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: South Effingham have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lakeside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
South Effingham came up short against Lakeside in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 74-62. Can South Effingham avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
