Basketball Game Preview: Wawasee Warriors vs. Central Noble Cougars

The Wawasee Warriors will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Central Noble Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Wawasee is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Warsaw on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Wawasee was dealt a 73-41 loss at the hands of Warsaw. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 89th, while the Tigers are ranked third).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ava Couture, who posted 11 points and seven rebounds. That's the most boards she has posted since back in November of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Mackenzie Hackleman, who earned 13 points.

Meanwhile, Central Noble came tearing into Friday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.6 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Chargers 50-18. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 20 points or more this season.

Central Noble's win came from a few key players Wawasee will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kierra Bolen, who had 15 points. Another player making a difference was Grace Swank, who put up 11 points.

Central Noble pushed their record up to 9-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 21.3 points per game. As for Wawasee, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-3.

Wawasee came out on top in a nail-biter against Central Noble in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, sneaking past 42-39. The rematch might be a little tougher for Wawasee since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.