SEC Friday: Panthers meet Demons

It’s Friday in Southeast Iowa, and that means a full day of Southeast Conference basketball action.

As usual in the parity-stricken SEC landscape, the weekend is full of potential nail-biters on both the boys’ and girls’ slate.

Friday’s boys games

Friday’s boys slate is highlighted by a rivalry showdown in Washington, as Mt. Pleasant comes to town to take on the fifth-ranked Demons.

Washington and Mt. Pleasant have played each other tight nearly every time since 2018. In the last seven games of the rivalry, six have been decided by 12 points or less, with the Panthers taking four of those games. Washington, however, has won three of the last five.

Demons and Panthers battled to the bitter end in both matchups last season. Washington won 58-50 in Mt. Pleasant, but the Panthers earned revenge via a 55-52 victory in Washington.

Washington comes in with a 2-0 record, tied with Fort Madison for the SEC lead. Mt. Pleasant is 1-1.

Washington’s Ethan Patterson is leading the SEC with 21.8 points per game. Teammate Kasen Bailey dishes out 5.2 assists per game, another mark that leads the conference.

Mt. Pleasant’s Dewon Trent is nearly averaging a double-double this season, scoring 15 points per game and pulling down 9.6 boards per game.

While that is going on in Washington, the Fairfield boys will be in Burlington trying to right the ship after a pair of tough losses to start conference play. It will be Fairfield’s third road game to begin the SEC schedule.

The Trojans will take their 0-2 SEC schedule into Burlington to face a Grayhoudn team that sits 1-1 in conference play after falling to Washington at home last week.

The two teams traded blowout victories last season. Burlington beat Fairfield 73-39 in Burlington, but the Trojans punched back with a 66-48 smoking at Fairfield High School just a couple of weeks later.

Fairfield, of course, has one of the best players in Southeast Iowa in Max Weaton, who scores 20.4 points per game and pulls down 10 rebounds per game. Point guard JJ Lane is scoring 13.2 points per game.

Burlington’s Amarion Davis has had a quick start to the 2021-22 year. He scores 16.2 points per game and leads the team with seven rebounds per game. Against Washington, Davis dropped 30.

Fort Madison has a chance to move to 3-0 in conference play and get a rivalry win over Keokuk in the process. The Bloodhounds will travel to Keokuk to play a Chiefs team that is 0-2 in league play with two blowout losses.

Friday’s girls games

The Washington and Mt. Pleasant girls teams could both use a win, and they’ll each get a shot on Friday night at Mt. Pleasant Community High School.

The Panthers come in riding a five-game losing streak and sporting an 0-2 SEC record. They’ll host a Washington squad that is 1-1 in SEC play with a 19-point win against Burlington last Friday.

Both teams come in with just one win overall. Washington is 1-5 and Mt. Pleasant is 1-6.

The Panthers have dominated the girls basketball rivalry over the last five years. Mt. Pleasant has won 10 of the last 11 matchups, including a pair of double-digit wins last season. The Panthers won 71-52 at Washington and 46-30 at home.

Mt. Pleasant’s Andrea Lopreato is putting up big numbers this season. She is fourth in the SEC in scoring, with 16.7 points per game, and also leads the league with 8.4 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game.

Washington’s balanced attack is led by Kaylin Long’s 7.2 points per game. She had nine points in the win over Burlington.

Fairfield will have the early game as the front end of a girl-boy doubleheader in Burlington will tip at 6 p.m., as opposed to the 7:30 p.m. start for most of the SEC slate.

The Trojan girls are in good shape, carrying a 2-0 conference record into a game against the Grayounds, who are 0-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play with five-straight blowout losses to start the season.

Fairfield has had little trouble against the Grayhounds in the past, dominating every matchup since Burlington joined the conference.

Fairfield beat Burlington three times last year, all in blowout fashion. The Trojans won 67-33 in Burlington, 63-28 at home and 57-38 in the postseason.

Fairfield’s Danielle Breen and Delaney Breen are currently third and fifth in the conference in scoring. Danielle puts up 19 points per game and Delaney scores 15.6 points per game.

The Trojans also sport the number two rebounder in the conference, as Mallory Lyon pulls down 8.2 boards per game, and the second-best assister in the league in Brynley Allison, who dishes out three helpers a game.

Burlington’s Alexis Standard scores 13.7 points per game. The Grayhounds’ second-leading scorer, Myah Rehman, puts up 10 points per game less, at 3.7.

The only other SEC girls game will be another front end of a girl-boy doubleheader, as Keokuk (3-3, 2-0) takes on Fort Madison (3-1, 1-1).

That game, being played at Keokuk’s Wright Fieldhouse, will be a matchup of two of the Top-2 scorers in the league. Fort Madison’s Malarie Ross scores 23.5 points per game, and Keokuk’s Abby Wolter puts up 23.4.