The Pekin Panthers used a stellar defensive performance in Packwood Monday to knock off the visiting Hillcrest Ravens 47-38. Neither team got off to a fast start offensively, but Pekin used their defense to begin the game on a 7-0 run. The Panthers led 9-4 after one quarter and 18-8 at the halftime break, holding Hillcrest to just three first half field goals. The Panthers put together a 15-2 run that spanned the final minutes of the first half and the opening five minutes of the third quarter, eventually stretching that lead to 16 at one point early in the second stanza. Hillcrest would battle back, cutting the margin to 10 going to the fourth quarter and getting as close at seven down the stretch but it wasn’t enough. After the game, Hillcrest Head Coach Dwight Gingerich talked about each team’s defense and trying to get the Raven offense on track. “Defensively they were really good. Their length, overplaying and physicality all combined made it tough and then we couldn’t get shots to fall. Even with that, at halftime we only had given up 18, so we were pretty solid defensively. We just have to stay with this. Second half, we got things spread out better and we moved the ball better. In the second half, Eli Ours hits some big big shots, showed the player that he is.”

Hillcrest was led by Eli Ours with a game high 21 points, 19 of those coming in the second half, including three, three point field goals in the fourth quarter. With the loss, the Ravens fall to 6-7 on the year, Pekin improves to 10-3. The Ravens are back at home Tuesday to face Wapello.