Basketball Game Preview: Maxwell Wildcats vs. Sandhills Valley Mavericks

The Maxwell Wildcats will be taking part in a tournament against the Sandhills Valley Mavericks on Friday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Maxwell and 26 for Sandhills Valley dating back to last season.

It was a proper cat-fight when Maxwell challenged Paxton on Friday. Maxwell was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 42-41 to Paxton. While the Wildcats didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Tigers 11-6 in the first quarter.

Maxwell's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Emory Christensen, who posted nine points along with eight boards and four steals, and Kristyn Cheek, who had seven points in addition to eight boards and three steals. Cheek is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season.

Even though they lost, Maxwell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 16 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Sandhills Valley ended up a good deal behind Twin Loup on Friday and lost 53-37.

Despite the defeat, Sandhills Valley saw an underclassman step up: freshman Avery Weems posted 14 points and three steals. Those 14 points set a new season-high mark for Weems. The team also got some help courtesy of Rhayana Bruns, who had five points.

Maxwell's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Sandhills Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.

Everything came up roses for Maxwell against Sandhills Valley when the teams last played back in January, as the squad secured a 56-18 victory. In that contest, Maxwell amassed a halftime lead of 37-8, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.