Basketball Game Preview: Maumee Panthers vs. Defiance Bulldogs

The Maumee Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Defiance Bulldogs at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Maumee is headed into Saturday's matchup hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight defeats. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 66-60 heartbreaker at the hands of Genoa Area.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Defiance ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They walked away with a 53-45 win over Van Wert. The score was all tied up 18-18 at the break, but the Bulldogs were the better team in the second half.

Maumee's loss dropped their record down to 8-4. As for Defiance, their victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-9.

Maumee didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Defiance when the teams last played back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 45-41 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Defiance's Isabella Rowlison, who went 7 of 11 en route to 15 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Maumee still be able to contain Rowlison? There's only one way to find out.