Tamaqua is 8-2 against Panther Valley since February of 2020, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Tamaqua Blue Raiders will square off against the Panther Valley Panthers at 6:00 p.m. Hopefully Tamaqua focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Monday.
Last Monday, Tamaqua came up short against Blue Mountain and fell 42-34. Tamaqua has not had much luck with Blue Mountain recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
Despite their loss, Tamaqua saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Samantha Plasha, who scored 11 points along with three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Lauren Ligenza, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Panther Valley has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They fell 44-36 to Lehighton on Monday.
The losing side was boosted by Maddison Maynard, who scored 17 points along with six rebounds and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Morgan Orsulak, who scored seven points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Tamaqua's record is now 15-7. Panther Valley's record is now 14-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Tamaqua have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Panther Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Tamaqua beat Panther Valley 46-39 in their previous matchup on Thursday. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Orsulak, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 17 rebounds. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Tamaqua still be able to contain Orsulak? There's only one way to find out.