The Joliet West Tigers entered their tilt with the Joliet Central Steelmen with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Joliet West managed a 58-52 victory over Joliet Central on Thursday. Given Joliet West's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 152nd, while Joliet Central is ranked 374th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Joliet West's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jada Thompson, who scored 15 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Thompson has scored all season. Alaya Redditt was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Joliet West pushed their record up to 13-9 with that victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.6 points per game. As for Joliet Central, they are on a eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 6-18.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Joliet West will take on Normal Community at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Normal Community has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Joliet Central, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Plainfield East at 6:30 p.m.
