Basketball Game Preview: Kankakee Valley Kougars vs. Hammond Bishop Noll Warriors

The Kankakee Valley Kougars will be defending their home court for the first time this season when they go up against the Hammond Bishop Noll Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

On Tuesday, Kankakee Valley made easy work of Rensselaer Central and carried off a 77-55 victory. The win continues a trend for the Kougars in their matchups with the Bombers: they've now won three in a row.

Kankakee Valley got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jase Barrera out in front who dropped a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Another player making a difference was Matthew Rose, who went 7-for-9 on his way to 16 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals.

Kankakee Valley was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2024.

Meanwhile, Hammond Bishop Noll beat Hammond Morton 61-48 on Friday.

Kankakee Valley better keep an eye on Maddux Laurincik. He was instrumental in Hammond Bishop Noll's win, putting up 18 points. Those 18 points gave Laurincik a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaray Walker, who posted 12 points.

Kankakee Valley beat Hammond Bishop Noll 76-69 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Will the Kougars repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.