The Springfield Southeast Spartans will be playing at home against the Quincy Blue Devils at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Springfield Southeast posted their biggest victory since December 8, 2023 on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 66-45 margin over Decatur Eisenhower.
Springfield Southeast's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Navehua Collier, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Marisa Gant, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Gant is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 15 or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Rakiyah Coleman, who scored seven points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Quincy put the finishing touches on their 14th blowout victory of the season on Thursday. They put the hurt on Rock Island with a sharp 56-33 win. Given Quincy's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while Rock Island is ranked 210th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Taylor Fohey, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Myley Longcor, who scored ten points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Springfield Southeast's victory bumped their record up to 6-11. As for Quincy, their win was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Springfield Southeast have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Quincy struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 24.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Springfield Southeast came up short against Quincy when the teams last played back in January of 2018, falling 56-52. Can Springfield Southeast avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.