The Jacksonville Crimsons will be playing at home against the Granite City Warriors at 7:30  p.m.  on Thursday. Both teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with nine consecutive losses for Jacksonville and five for Granite City.
 Last Monday, Jacksonville was the victim of a  tough 62-37 defeat at the hands of North Mac. Jacksonville was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at  36-15.
 Despite their  loss, Jacksonville saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays.  Maressa Williams, who  scored 14 points, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was  Laila Cook, who  scored 10 points.
 Meanwhile,  things could have been worse for Granite City, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a  53-39 loss to East Alton-Wood River on Monday. While losing is never fun, Granite City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage  in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings  (they are ranked 638th, while East Alton-Wood River is ranked 296th).
 The last time Jacksonville won  on the road was back  last Tuesday. Having now lost three straight away matchups, they've  bumped their record down to 0-9. As for Granite City, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.
 Jacksonville beat Granite City 49-39  in their previous meeting  back in December of 2022. Does  Jacksonville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Granite City turn the tables on them?  We'll have the answer soon enough.