Pana has been on the road for three straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Litchfield Purple Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Pana suffered their biggest loss since December 21, 2023 on Tuesday. They were beaten by Sullivan 65-26. Pana was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 43-15.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Lilly Rochkes, who scored two points along with two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Delaney Hackler, who scored three points.
Meanwhile, Litchfield's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their sixth straight loss. They were the victim of a rough 50-25 loss at the hands of Taylorville. While losing is never fun, Litchfield can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 598th, while Taylorville is ranked 53rd).
Despite their defeat, Litchfield saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Emma Diveley, who scored nine points along with three steals, was perhaps the best of all. That was a full 36% of Litchfield's points, marking the seventh time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Kyndal Law was another key contributor, scoring six points along with seven rebounds.
Litchfield struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They are winless (0-3) when they just don't pass the ball.
Pana has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost 16 of their last 18 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-21 record this season. As for Litchfield, they dropped their record down to 3-21 with that loss, which was their third straight at home.
Pana strolled past Litchfield when the teams last played back in January of 2023 by a score of 45-29. Does Pana have another victory up their sleeve, or will Litchfield turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
