Basketball Game Preview: Mishawaka Marian Knights vs. Elkhart Lions

The Mishawaka Marian Knights will head out on the road to square off against the Elkhart Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Mishawaka Marian is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Elkhart Christian Academy on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Mishawaka Marian lost 57-36 to Elkhart Christian Academy. The Knights were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-9.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Kariya Byer, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 boards. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in assists (four). Another player making a difference was Fane Sete, who posted ten points.

Meanwhile, Elkhart suffered their biggest defeat since December 12, 2023 on Saturday. They took a blow against Homestead, falling 59-28. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 117th, while the Spartans are ranked fourth).

Elkhart's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-8. As for Mishawaka Marian, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season.

Mishawaka Marian was dealt a bruising 49-22 defeat at the hands of Elkhart in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Mishawaka Marian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.