Basketball Game Preview: Evansville Reitz Panthers vs. Heritage Hills Patriots

Evansville Reitz hasn't had much luck against Heritage Hills recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Evansville Reitz Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the Heritage Hills Patriots at 12:30 p.m. Evansville Reitz will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.

Evansville Reitz saw some tournament action on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Danville, sneaking past 56-53.

Bailey Hape was her usual excellent self, putting up 28 points and four steals. The game was her fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaelyse Mitchell, who posted 11 points and seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, Heritage Hills came up short against Indian Creek on Friday, falling 51-29. The contest marked the Patriots' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Evansville Reitz will need focus on slowing down Mia Becher, one of several Heritage Hills players who made an impact when they last played. She had eight points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Mayci Litherland, who put up 13 points.

Evansville Reitz's win bumped their record up to 13-2. As for Heritage Hills, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Evansville Reitz has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Heritage Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 20.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Evansville Reitz couldn't quite finish off Heritage Hills in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 and fell 47-44. Can Evansville Reitz avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.