The Jefferson Panthers will face off against the East Helena Vigilantes at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Jefferson will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Jefferson is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Lone Peak: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Jefferson blew Lone Peak out of the water with a 71-24 final score. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 34 points or more this season.
Jefferson's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jaida Jurenka led the charge by going 5 for 7 en route to 13 points. Another player making a difference was Michaela Morris, who posted ten points and seven assists.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 83-35, which was the final score in East Helena's tilt against Billings Central Catholic on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Vigilantes can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Montana basketball rankings (they are ranked 77th, while the Rams are ranked first).
Jefferson pushed their record up to 11-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.7 points per game. As for East Helena, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season.
Everything came up roses for Jefferson against East Helena in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, as the squad secured a 79-51 win. Will Jefferson repeat their success, or does East Helena have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
