Another week has arrived, and December has featured challenging Top 20 matchups for the Panthers.
The competition has been fierce, and they have taken on all challengers after a weekend full of Top 20 opponents in their victories over Illinois Central and Lake Land.
"I think the two wins on consecutive days were huge for us and got us rolling, but we have another big challenge coming up with Rock Valley. Being able to knock both of those teams out helps us as a team trust in each other and trust in the coaches. There was an unbelievable amount of prep that went into those games, and that will continue throughout the rest," Frannie Metz said.
Despite the competition level at home, the team was able to put together impressive third quarters in consecutive days to stay unbeaten.
The Panthers also extended their home winning streak to 32 games after their pair of wins over the weekend. Thursday night cannot come soon enough when they host No. 13 Rock Valley.
The Golden Eagles are a surging program that moved up to No. 13 in the recent NJCAA DII poll, which came out on Monday afternoon. The Panthers remained at No. 2, but Rock Valley has been an outstanding squad as the holidays approach.
They may not be as reliant on the three-ball as other ranked squads, but they have been dominant on the offensive end. They can control the paint and have the size to combat those that attempt to challenge them near the basket.
Looking at the tale of the tape, Rock Valley and Morton College have their names in several national rankings.
Besides being both ranked in the Top 15, they have had thrilling offenses with plenty of production against their competition. Both rank among the Top 10 units in the country, averaging over 80 points a game.
They both are in the Top 20 for made three-pointers per game and are in the Top 10 for total three-pointers made on the season. Four players in this matchup are ranked Top 15 of the NJCAA DII for three-pointers made.
Karley Colson has been an outside weapon for the Golden Eagles, connecting on 24-of-98 made shots behind the arc. The Panthers have a few lights-out shooters, which helps them give nightmares to opposing defenses.
Jalyssa Carrasco (26), Kaylen Evans (27), and Claire Hyde (33) are all in the Top 11 for made three-pointers. They remain the top and lone trio among the DII leaders. There is no other team with two top-15 shooters on the national landscape.
"The three of them together are incredible. Their ability to shoot and create shots for themselves is a huge piece of the puzzle. As a team, we are still not shooting at the percentage we want, but we also know teams are trying to take that away from us, and we need to find other ways to put the ball in the basket," Metz said.
Metz has been a proven scorer for the Panthers these past few seasons. She has made eight three-pointers on the season but has shown her shooting prowess when it matters most.
The star forward made ten three-pointers during Nationals and was able to take down the No. 2 and 3 ranked squads last season due to consecutive games of four made three-pointers.
Having a potential fourth weapon as an outside shooter on top of her overall talented game that can provide issues for slower forwards, Metz will be ready for the Top 15 tussle.
As a team, Rock Valley ranks among the top units in the country at rebounding the ball due to their exceptional size. The Golden Eagles are currently sixth in scoring (88.0) and ninth in made field goals per game (32.3)
They are also an efficient shooting team with a percentage of 43.3% from the floor, ranking 22nd. They also have a few stars, but Maya Mitchell is one of their three scorers averaging double figures.
Mitchell shoots at an elite clip, coming out to 64.7% (tied for 10th) from the field through 10 games played. The Panthers had a star scorer lead the NJCAA DII ranks last season in field-goal percentage.
Mia Simpson is back for more this season and is currently fourth with a 69.5% shooting percentage. She also has added an outside jumper, knocking down four three-pointers on the season.
Simpson has proven to rebound the ball and often starts and finishes fast breaks by her lonesome. The Panthers could attempt to speed up a Rock Valley squad that could focus on their half-court execution.
Entering their Thursday showdown on a 32-game winning streak at home, they have improved over these past few weeks against elite competition. After knocking off the likes of Black Hawk, Mesa (Az), Bryant & Stratton, Illinois Central, and Lake Land, the No. 2 squad is stacking wins like they did last season.
After their Thursday home matchup with No. 13 Rock Valley, the Panthers will go on the road to take on South Suburban on Saturday afternoon.
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