Basketball Preview: Buckeye Local Panthers vs. Shenandoah Zeps
Buckeye Local has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Shenandoah Zeps at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Shenandoah took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Buckeye Local, who comes in off a win.
Last Monday, Buckeye Local didn't have too much trouble with the Golden Bears at home as they won 46-28.
Buckeye Local relied on the efforts of Pamela Kandrach, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Brynn McKeever, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 15 rebounds. Kandrach has been hot recently, having posted 12 or more rebounds the last 18 times she's played.
Meanwhile, Shenandoah ended up a good deal behind the Tigers on Friday and lost 54-37. While losing is never fun, Shenandoah can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 415th, while the Tigers are ranked 52nd).
Despite their defeat, Shenandoah saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Emily Moore, who scored ten points along with three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Moore has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kadence Noll, who scored 12 points.
Buckeye Local is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. As for Shenandoah, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Buckeye Local have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 41.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Shenandoah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Buckeye Local beat the Zeps 39-31 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Buckeye Local since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
