Basketball Game Preview: Wabash Apaches vs. Maconaquah Braves

The Wabash Apaches will face off against the Maconaquah Braves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wabash is looking for their season's first win.

On Wednesday, Wabash was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 48-44 to North Miami. While the Apaches didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Warriors 16-9 in the first quarter.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jarrett McWhirt, who went 5 for 11 on his way to 14 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. He is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Long, who posted nine points.

Meanwhile, Maconaquah had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They blew past North Miami 76-51 on Friday. The Braves pushed the score to 67-33 by the end of the third, a deficit the Warriors cut but never quite recovered from.

Maconaquah's win came from a few key players Wabash will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was AJ Kelly, who went 12 of 24 on his way to 26 points along with eight boards and three steals. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiah Ball, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 boards.

Wabash's loss dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Maconaquah, their victory bumped their record up to 1-0.

Wabash strolled past Maconaquah in their previous meeting back in December of 2023 by a score of 70-55. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Ball, who went 11 of 23 on his way to 27 points in addition to eight boards and five steals. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Wabash still be able to contain Ball? There's only one way to find out.