Basketball Game Preview: Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers vs. Plano Reapers

The Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Plano Reapers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Gardner-South Wilmington has struggled recently with nine losses in a row, while Plano will arrive with 12 straight wins.

On Monday, Gardner-South Wilmington was beaten by Clifton Central 63-19.

Meanwhile, Plano got the win against Woodstock North on Friday by a conclusive 52-29. The Reapers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 23 points or more this season.

Gardner-South Wilmington better keep an eye on Josie Larson. She was instrumental in Plano's win, almost dropping a double-double on 22 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Sanai Young, who posted ten points in addition to eight boards and three steals.

Plano smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 37 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Plano pushed their record up to 20-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.8 points per game. As for Gardner-South Wilmington, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-19.

Gardner-South Wilmington came up short against Plano in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 59-50. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Larson, who went 6 of 11 from beyond the arc on her way to 34 points along with seven rebounds and five assists. Now that Gardner-South Wilmington knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.