Basketball Game Preview: Maxwell Wildcats vs. Loomis Wolves

Maxwell hasn't had much luck against Loomis recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Maxwell Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Loomis Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

Maxwell is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Thursday. They took a 60-46 bruising from Medicine Valley.

Meanwhile, in Friday's Canine Competition, Loomis had to take the L. They fell 67-57 to Pleasanton on Friday. While the Wolves didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Bulldogs 20-14 in the first quarter.

Maxwell will need to focus on slowing down Tyson Essex, one of several Loomis players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 22 points and eight rebounds. Essex continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Trompke, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.

Even though they lost, Loomis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Maxwell's loss dropped their record down to 5-16. As for Loomis, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-9.

Things could have been worse for Maxwell, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 56-40 loss to Loomis in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Trompke, who went 9-for-13 on his way to 28 points and five rebounds. Now that Maxwell knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.