The Palmyra Panthers will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Pawnee City Indians. Hopefully Palmyra is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Pawnee City in Nebraska (Palmyra is ranked 126th, while Pawnee City is ranked 256th).
Last Saturday, Palmyra was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 39-34 to Weeping Water. It was the first time this season that Palmyra let down their fans at home.
Pawnee City was handed a 30-point defeat in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Sterling on Friday. Pawnee City had just enough and edged Sterling out 41-38. The victory was just what Pawnee City needed coming off of a 49-19 loss in their prior contest.
Pawnee City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Emalyse Gottula, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Neveah Blecha was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with two steals.
Palmyra's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-7. As for Pawnee City, their win bumped their record up to 2-15.
Everything came up roses for Palmyra against Pawnee City when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 64-25 victory. Will Palmyra repeat their success, or does Pawnee City have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
