Basketball Game Preview: Leo Lions vs. DeKalb Barons

Leo is 8-2 against DeKalb since December of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Lions will challenge the Barons at 7:30 p.m. Leo is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.1 points per game this season.

Leo is headed into Friday's game hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight losses. They took a hard 60-45 fall against Angola on Wednesday. That's two games in a row now that the Lions have lost by exactly 15 points.

Leah Shappell

Rebounds

12/10/25 @ Angola	12
12/06/25 vs Columbia City	11
12/04/25 vs Garrett	10
12/01/25 vs Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran	9
11/25/25 @ South Adams	16
+ 7 more games

Despite the defeat, Leo got top-tier performance from Leah Shappell, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards. Shappell is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in each of the last 12 games she's played dating back to last season. Mackenzie Collins was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to eight assists and six boards.

Meanwhile, DeKalb had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They skirted past Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran 53-50.

DeKalb's win came from a few key players Leo will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Abbie Harris, who posted 16 points and five steals. She has become a key player for DeKalb: the team is undefeated when she posts at least three steals, but 1-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Mollee Sonnenburg, who shot 63% from the field to rack up 14 points.

Leo's loss dropped their record down to 8-3. As for DeKalb, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Leo has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 35 rebounds per game. However, it's not like DeKalb struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Leo lost to DeKalb on the road by a decisive 57-39 margin in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.