The Wiley Panthers were the 40-26 winner over the Cheyenne Wells Tigers when they last played one another back in February of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Wiley took a serious blow against the Tigers on Thursday, falling 62-18. Wiley was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-9.
Despite the loss, Wiley had strong showings from Claire Pendleton, who scored nine points, and Johanna Brown, who scored five points along with five rebounds and two blocks. Brown hasn't dropped below two blocks for ten straight games.
Cheyenne Wells' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Paige Ryser, who scored 14 points along with eight rebounds and eight steals. Ryser is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Aubry Carroll, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Wiley are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-10. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 21.3 points per game. As for Cheyenne Wells, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Wiley will take on the Eagles at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Eads presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Panthers in Colorado (the Eagles are ranked 75th, while the Panthers are ranked 258th). As for Cheyenne Wells, they won't have much time to rest: their next game is against the Bobcats at 4:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Granada is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
