Basketball Recap: Waterloo's Luck Changes for the Better on Saturday

Alex Stell

Points

02/01/25 vs Meridian	38
11/24/23 vs Lift for Life Academy	40
01/14/25 vs Cahokia	35
12/28/24 vs Freeburg	34
12/14/24 @ Gibault Catholic	31

Waterloo needed a changed in momentum after dropping three straight games and they got it from Alex Stell. The Waterloo Bulldogs took down the Meridian Bobcats 74-60 on Saturday thanks in part to Stell, who dropped a double-double on 38 points and 18 rebounds. That's the most points he has posted since back in November of 2023.

Another player making a difference was Max Oswald, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine boards. He has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played.

Meridian's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Javionne Ranson, who posted 12 points and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Max Russell, who put up nine points.

Waterloo's victory bumped their record up to 17-8. As for Meridian, they moved to 19-6 with that loss, which also ended their nine-game winning streak.

Waterloo and Meridian should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. Waterloo will face off against Red Bud at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday up 340 places (94 vs. 434). Waterloo is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.8 points per game this season. Meanwhile, Meridian (ranked 190th) will meet Century (ranked 580th) at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.