Preview: Elkhart Lions vs. Valparaiso Vikings
The Elkhart Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Valparaiso Vikings at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Elkhart has struggled recently with 12 losses in a row, while Valparaiso will arrive with three straight wins.
Last Friday, Elkhart came up short against South Bend Adams and fell 51-40. While losing is never fun, Elkhart can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 383rd, while South Bend Adams is ranked 91st).
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Valparaiso ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They managed a 68-64 win over 21st Century Charter. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Jack Smiley continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 35 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. The match was his sixth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Alec Platipodis, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds.
Elkhart's defeat dropped their record down to 0-6. As for Valparaiso, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2.
Elkhart was taken down by Valparaiso 64-32 in their previous matchup back in December of 2022. Thankfully for Elkhart, Mason Jones (who dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
