Prairie Heights is 0-3 against Leo since January of 2022 but things could change on Tuesday. A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Prairie Heights Panthers take on the Leo Lions at 7:30 p.m. Prairie Heights will be strutting in after a victory while Leo will be coming in after a defeat.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Prairie Heights turned things around against West Noble on Saturday. They wrapped up 2024 with a 40-25 win over the Chargers.
Emily McCrea continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a double-double on 22 points and nine boards. That makes it five consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Prairie Heights' points. The team also got some help courtesy of Peyton Gibson, who posted three points and seven steals.
Meanwhile, Leo came up short against Huntington North two weeks ago and fell 55-44.
Prairie Heights will have to contain Leah Shappell as she made an impact in Leo's last game. She dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. What's more, Shappell also racked up five assists, the most she's had since back in January of 2024. Emma Connally was another key player, putting up eight points and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Leo smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.
Prairie Heights' victory ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-9. As for Leo, they dropped their record down to 8-7 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Prairie Heights has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 25.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Leo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Prairie Heights came up short against Leo when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 44-36. Can Prairie Heights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
