Basketball Recap: Makaela Drake Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Western

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Lafayette Jefferson, Kokomo was happy to have turned things around on Tuesday. They walked away with a 49-38 victory over the Western Panthers. Given the Wildkats' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 103rd, while the Panthers are ranked 260th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Kokomo's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Makaela Drake, who posted 16 points and eight steals. Drake has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Another player making a difference was Bella Richards, who put up eight points and ten rebounds.

Despite the loss, Western still got an impressive performance from Ellyse Walden, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 12 rebounds. Those 21 points gave Walden a new career-high.

Kokomo's record now sits at 7-2. As for Western, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Kokomo will host McCutcheon at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. McCutcheon knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past nine games -- so hopefully Kokomo likes a good challenge. As for Western, they will look to defend their home court on Saturday against Twin Lakes at 12:30 p.m.