Southwestern Conference Clash – Game of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This article covers the game on Friday, 1/16/26, where the O'Fallon Panthers hosted the Belleville East Lancers. It highlights the matchup and several players who could be game changers.</em> <em>Coming into the game, the Lancers had a better record at 8-8, while the Panthers were at 5-15. The teams met on 12/5/25, with the Panthers winning 56-54, and then again on 12/28/25, with a 49-46 loss. So, this game proved to be a competitive match.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the Belleville East Lancers, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-coleman-2/">[player_tooltip player_id='3361100' first='Jalen' last='Coleman'] (#0)</a> and Savon Wade (#20) led the team. By halftime, they achieved an 11-point lead. In fact, Coleman dominated the Panthers all night. He scored a season-high 21 points. He fired at least three missiles from behind the arc. The 5-foot-8-inch point guard used his size and speed to his advantage. Coleman is a two-way player. He reads the defense well and uses his footwork to create turnovers. He also uses his dribbling skills to generate space between himself and the defender. He also received help from one of the team's most promising players, Savon Wade (#20).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Savon Wade","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77247","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Belleville East Township","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696c2d45b8ea5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A 6-foot-4-inch sophomore who out-muscled the Panthers. He grabbed five rebounds and added 12 points. Wade excelled near and under the rim. He also has a smooth jump shot with a soft release. It is still developing. This was a true breakout game for Wade.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the O'Fallon Panthers, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ben-akoro/">[player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] (#3)</a> had another high-scoring game with 22 points, including the game-winning free throw. He took control of the game, and once again, his versatility proved to be difficult for the defending team. As usual, Ben used his soft hands for a nice mid-range shot and relied on his size to stay low. Akoro received help from Calvin Dees (#3), who finished with 11 points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Calvin Dees","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"O'Fallon Township","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"MidPro South Boys","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696c2d45b8f82"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dees contributed by being an effective kick-out winger. He made 4 out of 4 shots. This included the game-tying three-pointer in the fourth quarter with just seconds remaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lancers worked hard and hustled. Despite their efforts, Calvin Dees set the stage for Akoro and the Panthers. They secured a 59–57 overtime victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->