Southwestern is 1-9 against Roxana since February of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Piasa Birds are headed away from home for the first time to take on the Shells at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Southwestern took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 43-36 win over Carrollton. The victory continues a trend for the Piasa Birds in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won five in a row.
Cason Robinson
| 12/02/25 vs Carrollton | 5 |
| 11/28/25 vs Freeburg | 3 |
| 11/24/25 vs Carbondale | 2 |
| 02/26/25 vs Marquette Catholic | 1 |
| 02/21/25 @ Bunker Hill | 3 |
| + 13 more games |
Southwestern's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Cason Robinson, who shot 60% from the field en route to 18 points and five rebounds, and Trenton Brackett, who almost dropped a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. That's the most rebounds Robinson has posted since back in December of 2024. Reed Campbell also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assist of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Roxana). They took down Maryville Christian 60-41 on Thursday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Shells with their most commanding win of the season.
Southwestern better keep an eye on Sean Maberry. He was instrumental in Roxana's win, going 12-for-18 to rack up 27 points in addition to five boards and five steals. Thanks to that strong game, Maberry now owns an excellent 50.8% shooting accuracy. Cohen Dugan was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with ten points and nine steals.
Roxana smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.
Southwestern's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Roxana, their record now sits at 5-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Southwestern has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 23.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Roxana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Southwestern skirted past Roxana 57-55 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Piasa Birds since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
