Basketball Game Preview: Anderson Indians vs. Pendleton Heights Arabians

The Anderson Indians will challenge the Pendleton Heights Arabians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Anderson is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They managed a 44-39 win over Muncie Central. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Indians as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Pendleton Heights waltzed into their match on Thursday with ten straight wins... but they left with 11. In a tight game that could have gone either way, they made off with a 66-65 win over the Millers. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Arabians' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 25th, while the Millers are ranked fifth).

Anderson better focus on containing Adah Hupfer and Kaycie Warfel as the pair were huge in Pendleton Heights' win. Hupfer dropped a double-double on 22 points and 23 boards, while Warfel almost dropped a double-double on 26 points and nine rebounds. Hupfer has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more rebounds the last 36 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Mamie Trout, who posted seven points and five boards.

Pendleton Heights smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 18 consecutive contests.

Pendleton Heights' win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-6. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.8 points per game. As for Anderson, their victory bumped their record up to 3-21.

Anderson ended up a good deal behind Pendleton Heights in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, losing 62-46. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pendleton Heights' Olivia Jones, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and ten rebounds. Now that Anderson knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.