The Panthers are looking for a third victory in their past four games after knocking off the Elmhurst and Dominican JV squads. 

Despite falling short against College of DuPage in the closing seconds, the Panthers are looking to shut the door in late-game situations.

The Panthers have three more upcoming home games and will have a second matchup with Black Hawk on Saturday after winning on their home court in the season-opener. 

"This is an important week for us. With six games scheduled in 12 days, we will look to our bench to provide some support. Something we constantly talk about is making progress and this is another opportunity for us to continue to take steps forward. We need to put together 40 minutes of good basketball. We have yet to show that type of consistency," head coach Jon Rush said.

Despite their competition, the Panthers are looking forward to several upcoming challengers and want to put their recent loss to DuPage behind them.

"Our attention to detail needs to improve. This is one of the small things that are a huge part of our big picture as a program. It will allow us to have some consistency moving forward. We have several freshmen playing big minutes for us right now. There's always room for growth. They have been receptive but things need to transfer from practice to competition," Rush said.

One of the stars this season has been Matas Deksnys, the 6-8 wing that can score in a bevy of ways on the court. Entering the week averaging 16.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds, Deksnys is an impact player that can dominate and take over a game on any given possession.

"Matas is a luxury to have because of his versatility. He's a guy that's been a known sniper over the years. But he's much more than just a spot-up shooter. He has the versatility to play either the wing spot or even down to the 4. Since the injury to Taaj Davis, he has been playing a lot of PG for us. His ability to pass off the dribble at his size has been great for us. He's a guy that we look to play through every night regardless of the matchup. Matas puts a lot of work into his craft, we're very happy to have him as a part of our program," Rush said.

One of the strengths has been the Panthers ability to shoot the ball with confidence and knock enough of them down to go on runs even when trailing in games. 

Entering the week, the squad was averaging over seven three-pointers per game. Ranking 51st, we should see that number continue to rise with a few players capable of knocking down that many outside shots by themselves.

Manny Rodriguez is second on the team with 14 made three-pointers, but Deksnys leads the way with 16 on the year through six games. 

"As a staff, we love the potential that this group has as a whole. Our sense of awareness is a huge strength. We have guys that are realistic about the work that lies ahead of them. They understand and accept that they have a lot of room to grow while showing the desire to get better every day," Rush said.

Black Hawk (4-4 entering the week) had a season-opening home matchup with the Panthers. The nail-biting finish where the Panthers survived in their 84-80 victory featured four in double figures.

Manny Rodriguez came up clutch in the victory, knocking down a three-pointer in the final moments of regulation. He had missed his first four shots behind the arc, but connected on the game-winning shot. 

The guard play will be vital, and coach Rush believes Rodriguez has the talent to keep knocking down momentum-shifting buckets late in shot clock and game clock situations. 

The gauntlet and stretch of several games all bunched together could challenge the Panthers. Five scheduled games are approaching before Christmas arrives, and three are within a week.

After their Saturday rematch with Black Hawk from the season-opener, they will host Olive-Harvey next Tuesday and Rock Valley next Thursday. The depth and ability of the freshman could play a vital role in those three home matchups.

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