Basketball Game Preview: Maconaquah Braves vs. Northwestern Tigers

Maconaquah is 0-10 against Northwestern since December of 2014 but things could change on Tuesday. The Maconaquah Braves will be playing at home against the Northwestern Tigers at 7:45 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Maconaquah is headed into the match having just suffered their biggest defeat since February 2, 2024 on Thursday. They were beaten by Whitko 64-34. The Braves were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 40-20.

Despite the loss, Maconaquah saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ireland Kile went 7 of 17 en route to 23 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Kile has posted since back in November of 2024.

Even though they lost, Maconaquah smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Northwestern came up short against Wabash on Saturday and fell 63-50. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 265th, while the Apaches are ranked 88th).

Northwestern has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season. As for Maconaquah, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-7.

Maconaquah took a serious blow against Northwestern in their previous matchup back in November of 2022, falling 64-18. Thankfully for Maconaquah, Mckenna Layden (who went 7 for 13 on her way to 25 points and five assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.