The Litchfield Purple Panthers were the 40-37 winner over the East Alton-Wood River Oilers when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Litchfield fell 58-51 to East Alton-Wood River on Thursday. Litchfield just can't catch a break and has now endured five losses in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Litchfield lost, one person who can't be blamed is Emma Diveley. Despite the final result, she scored 23 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Diveley has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Chloe Law, who scored 12 points along with four steals.
East Alton-Wood River found their leader in underclassman Kaylynn Buttry, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Buttry scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Milla Legette, who scored nine points along with four steals.
Litchfield dropped their record down to 3-20 with that defeat, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for East Alton-Wood River, their victory bumped their record up to 11-12.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Litchfield will take on Taylorville at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Taylorville presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Litchfield in Illinois (Taylorville is ranked 55th, while Litchfield is ranked 605th). As for East Alton-Wood River, they will be playing at home against North Greene at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. North Greene has now lost 13 straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 30.
