Basketball Game Preview: Lake Fenton Blue Devils vs. Bendle Tigers

Lake Fenton has won four straight games at home, while Bendle has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. The Lake Fenton Blue Devils just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Bendle Tigers at 2:30 p.m.

Lake Fenton is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Goodrich on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Lake Fenton was beaten by Goodrich 83-47. The Blue Devils have struggled against the Martians recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bendle). They claimed a resounding 82-40 win over Atherton. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 233rd, while the Wolverines are ranked 691st), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.

Bendle's win came from a few key players Lake Fenton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Malis Firman, who dropped a triple-double on 15 points, 12 assists, and ten steals. Firman is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least four every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Landon Mattis, who went 7 of 11 en route to 16 points and six steals.

Bendle smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in four consecutive matches.

Lake Fenton's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 6-3. As for Bendle, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.

Everything went Lake Fenton's way against Bendle in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, as Lake Fenton made off with a 59-34 win. Does Lake Fenton have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bendle turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.