The DuSable Panthers and the Air Force Academy Falcons will face off at 5:00 p.m. on Friday without much rest, having both just played. DuSable has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
DuSable is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Excel Academy of Englewood: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Panthers blew the Bulls out of the water with a 71-42 final score. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 27 points or more this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead DuSable to victory, but perhaps none more so than Tyshawn Burns, who posted 23 points. Corvanta Matthew was another key player, putting up 19 points.
Meanwhile, Air Force Academy had to endure a ten-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They managed a 50-46 win over Art in Motion on Thursday.
Air Force Academy found their leader in sophomore Pablo Ruiz, who shot 58% from the field to rack up 19 points and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Ruiz has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Grant Galvin, who put up five points in addition to six boards and five steals.
Air Force Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds every time they've taken the court this season.
DuSable's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Air Force Academy, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-5 and their overall record up to 2-11.
Everything came up roses for DuSable against Air Force Academy when the teams last played back in December of 2025, as the squad secured an 81-33 victory. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
