Pawnee has been on the road for three straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will be home for the holidays to greet the Carlinville Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m.
Pawnee fought the good fight in their overtime match against Edinburg on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 78-74 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Wildcats. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Meanwhile, Carlinville had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They skirted past South County 42-39. That looming 42-39 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Carlinville yet this season.
Carlinville's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dom Alepra led the charge by scoring 20 points. That makes it eight consecutive games in which Alepra has scored at least 25% of Carlinville's points. Another player making a difference was Matt Dunn, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Pawnee has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season. As for Carlinville, their victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-6.
Pawnee and Carlinville were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, but Pawnee came up empty-handed after a 40-39 loss. Thankfully for Pawnee, Ryenn Hart (who scored 21 points along with seven rebounds and three steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
