The Mishawaka Marian Knights will challenge the South Bend Washington Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mishawaka Marian has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with six straight defeats, while South Bend Washington will come in with ten straight victories.
Mishawaka Marian saw some tournament action on Saturday. They took a 54-46 hit to the loss column at the hands of South Bend Riley.
Despite the loss, Mishawaka Marian saw an underclassman step up: freshman Kariya Byer posted 23 points and seven rebounds. That was a full 50% of Mishawaka Marian's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's had more than a third of the team's points. Elle Boser was another key player, putting up nine points and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when South Bend Washington faced off against New Prairie on Saturday. South Bend Washington couldn't have asked for a better start to 2025 than the 85-12 blowout they got against New Prairie. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 30 points or more this season.
Mishawaka Marian better keep an eye on Kira Reynolds. She was instrumental in South Bend Washington's win, going 7 of 10 on her way to 14 points in addition to 18 boards and 12 assists. Reynolds has been hot for a while, having also posted three or more blocks the last 23 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Monique Mitchell, who almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine boards.
South Bend Washington smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 16 consecutive matches.
South Bend Washington pushed their record up to 15-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 49 points. As for Mishawaka Marian, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mishawaka Marian has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like South Bend Washington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mishawaka Marian took a serious blow against South Bend Washington when the teams last played back in November of 2023, falling 87-6. Will Mishawaka Marian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
