CHANUTE – The Neosho Panthers kick off the second half of its 2019-20 season of men's basketball in the on Saturday afternoon when coach Jeremy Coombs and the Panthers travel to the Pratt Kansas to take on the Pratt Community College Beavers in their first game back from Christmas break.  The Panthers will have had a 23-day break from official game competition.
 
The Panthers, 6-7 overall and 2-2 in Jayhawk play, return to the floor for a 4 p.m. tip against the 7-6 / 1-3 Pratt Beavers.  The Beavers have had some very key wins including knocking off Conference power Coffeyville on the road in Coffeyville.  The Panthers ended the semester with a tough loss at Barton County but find themselves 2-2 in conference play.
 
Freshman guard Jonathan Breeland currently leads the Panthers in scoring at 12.4 points per game while shooting an outstanding 44% from three-point land.  Freshman Tory Cargo and Sophomore Jae-Min Yang follow Breeland with 10.1 points per game.  Freshman Corrbett Kimberlin is also averaging 9.6 points per game and shooting 38% from behind the arc.
 
This season the road has not been kind to the Panthers as they are still looking for that first true road win.  As it stands the Panthers are 0-3 in true road games, losing at Missouri West Plains, at #2 Hutchinson Community College and losing their last game at Barton County.
 
"We have played a very tough schedule, so I don't think our record shows who we really are." Head Coach Jeremy Coombs Said. "This is a team that is young and full of talent...we just need to put it together and we will be tough to deal with."
 
SETTING THE SCENE
The Panthers are coming off a tough road loss at Barton County but after a long much needed Christmas break will look to get back on the road at Pratt. 
 
"This will be our first game back after Christmas so it could be ugly as the first ones back normally are," Coombs said. "Now add going on the road to a hostile environment and it will make life even harder for the guys, but I know they will be up for it."
 
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Pratt is 7-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play.  The Beavers are scoring an outstanding 86.9 points per game while shooting a blistering 34.6% from three-point land.  The Beavers have played a tough conference schedule to this point and knocked off the nationally-ranked Coffeyville Red Ravens in Coffeyville, KS.
 
"Pratt is a tough place to play and they have a bunch of talent." Said Coombs. "We will need to compete and play well if we want to sneak one on the road."
 
LAST MEETING
Last year the Beavers came to Chanute and the Panthers walked away with a 94 to 88 win over the Beavers.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Twitter: @GoNeoshoHoops / @GoNeosho
Listen and Stream: https://www.gobeaversports.com/links/LiveBroadcasts
 
 
For more information, go to www.goneosho.com or follow @GoNeoshoHoops or GoNeosho on Twitter for updates throughout the year.