Basketball Game Preview: Willis Wildkats vs. Caney Creek Panthers

Willis is 9-1 against Caney Creek since November of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Willis Wildkats will venture away from home to take on the Caney Creek Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Willis is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 61.7 points per game this season.

Last Wednesday, Willis came up short against Grand Oaks and fell 60-51. While losing is never fun, the Wildkats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 416th, while the Grizzlies are ranked 76th).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was SJ Young, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. He has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Chandler Beasley, who went 5 of 12 on his way to 12 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Willis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Caney Creek was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a blow against Grand Oaks, falling 69-33.

Willis' loss was their fifth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 13-9. As for Caney Creek, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-19.

Everything came up roses for Willis against Caney Creek in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 94-65 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Willis since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.