Illini Bluffs has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Peoria Heights Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Illini Bluffs' defense has only allowed 29.4 points per game this season, so Peoria Heights' offense will have their work cut out for them.
Illini Bluffs put the finishing touches on their eighth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 63-37 margin over Lewistown. Given Illini Bluffs' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 70th, while Lewistown is ranked 322nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, Peoria Heights didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Astoria/VIT on Thursday, but they still walked away with a 46-40 victory.
Peoria Heights' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emily Dana, who scored 14 points along with three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Janessa Marie wallace, who scored nine points along with seven assists and six steals.
Illini Bluffs pushed their record up to 20-3 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points per game. As for Peoria Heights, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-4 record this season.
Illini Bluffs was able to grind out a solid win over Peoria Heights in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, winning 46-34. The rematch might be a little tougher for Illini Bluffs since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
