Basketball Game Preview: Northwestern Tigers vs. Benton Central Bison

The Northwestern Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Benton Central Bison at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Benton Central took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Northwestern, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with three losses in a row, Northwestern turned things around against Eastern on Tuesday. They blew past the Comets 48-24.

Northwestern can attribute much of their success to Anna Bishir, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine boards, and Brooklynn Conwell, who posted 12 points along with six boards and three steals. Those nine boards gave Bishir a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Schultz, who had two points and 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Benton Central came up short against Rensselaer Central on Tuesday and fell 51-41. The defeat continues a trend for the Bison in their matchups with the Bombers: they've now lost three in a row.

Benton Central's loss ended an eight-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-4. As for Northwestern, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.

Northwestern took a serious blow against Benton Central in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 63-29. Can Northwestern avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.