The Portland Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Macon County Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Portland scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They claimed a resounding 63-31 win over LEAD Academy at home. The win was some much needed relief for Portland as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Portland to victory, but perhaps none more so than Taya Totten, who scored 13 points along with five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Kemiyah Kelsey, who scored nine points along with five assists.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Macon County beat Greenbrier 51-47 on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Macon County.
Macon County got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Laityn Kirby out in front who scored 15 points along with five assists and four steals. Kirby is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Kaydence Walrond was another key contributor, scoring 15 points.
Portland's victory bumped their record up to 8-13. As for Macon County, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Portland have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 25.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Macon County, though, as they've been averaging only 22.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Portland didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Macon County in their previous meeting back in November of 2021, but they still walked away with a 34-30 win. Will Portland repeat their success, or does Macon County have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
