Watseka is 3-0 against Manteno since November of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Watseka Warriors' road trip will continue as they head out to face the Manteno Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on February 20th. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Watseka had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They strolled past the Sabers with points to spare, taking the game 43-27.
Manteno has not done well against Coal City recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Manteno had just enough and edged Coal City out 30-27. The win was all the more spectacular given Manteno's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 336th, while Coal City is ranked 153rd).
Manteno found their leader in underclassman Maddie Gesky, who scored seven points along with 18 rebounds and two blocks. Gesky hasn't dropped below 11 rebounds for seven straight games. Another player making a difference was Annabella Gigliello, who scored four points along with seven rebounds.
Watseka's win bumped their record up to 26-4. As for Manteno, their victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-12.
Watseka won a match that couldn't have been any closer in their previous meeting back in January, slipping by Manteno 47-46. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gesky, who scored 17 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Watseka still be able to contain Gesky? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
