The magical winning streak continues for the Panthers after they earned their fifth victory in six tries and third straight on Thursday night, defeating Rock Valley 76-72.

They knocked down 16 three-pointers in a narrow win that saw several lead changes and game-changing plays. The win over Rock Valley was a great team effort that was much needed to continue the momentum.

Skyway play is still about a month away, but the Panthers would love nothing more than to earn victories against the elite competition to gain more confidence.

"We had some moments last night where we had some mental lapses and a few rough possessions down the stretch. But we kept our cool and remained composed because we had been in these situations before. We had some big shots by Kedric Anderson, Myles Griffith, and Deks, who hit the big one. We have a lot to work on as a team, but when we come together and fight through to the end, we are tough to beat," star point guard Manny Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez has been on fire the past three games, averaging 23.3 points per game alongside his 5.0 three-pointers, 3.6 boards, and 4.6 assists per game. It is one thing to hit 15 three-pointers in a three-game stretch, but Rodriguez has been efficient as ever and came up clutch.

The shots often come at inopportune times for the opposition and the perfect moments for the Panthers. Late in the shot clock and game clock, the Panther point guard has turned into a superstar in December. He has shot at least 50% in all three games from behind the arc and made crucial free throws.

"We are very pleased with Manny's production this month. He has been performing up to his capability. Manny has always been a scorer dating back to his high school days. It is great to see him playing with the utmost confidence," head coach Jon Rush said. 

In a game that featured several lead changes and ties, the Panthers took all opposing shots from Rock Valley. Matas Deksnys was hit in the mouth and had to leave the game but came back in crunch time. He scored the go-ahead bucket in a 70-70 tie game with under a minute to go.

The up-and-under bucket would not end up being the game-winner because Rock Valley tied it up on the next possession. However, Deksnys would get the last laugh as he would get open off a pick and bury the game-winning three-pointer after it was all tied up at 72. 

Deksnys finished with 19, and Rodriguez ended with a team-high 20 points. The dynamic duo split their time in the spotlight with the rest of the team because everybody played a vital role in the victory.

Myles Griffith was the unsung hero of the game, who finished with a career-high 17 points off the bench, and his athleticism was on full display. Kedric Anderson had 8 points, picking his spots marvelously with consecutive three-pointers toward the end of regulation. 

Trailing 60-58 with under six minutes remaining, Anderson made Rock Valley pay twice. He hit consecutive three-pointers where the pair of shots lifted the lead to four points. That ended up making an impact in the 76-72 victory.

Next, the Panthers will hit the road against the defending NJCAA DII national champions and preseason No. 1 squad in South Suburban on Saturday. The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 5 with a 9-1 record.

"South Suburban will be very similar to our game against Milwaukee Area Tech in the sense that they have some really good athletes and play at a different speed/pace than most teams around the country. It will be on us to come in with a sound game plan and execute," Rush said.  

The 3 p.m. Saturday matchup in South Holland follows the 1 p.m. start time from the women.

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