Basketball Game Preview: Lowell Red Devils vs. Kankakee Valley Kougars

The Lowell Red Devils will take on the Kankakee Valley Kougars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

Last Thursday, Lowell came up short against Rensselaer Central and fell 53-41. The defeat continues a trend for the Red Devils in their matchups with the Bombers: they've now lost eight in a row.

Despite the loss, Lowell had strong showings from Elysia Laub, who posted seven points along with eight boards and three blocks, and Bre Kidd, who went 5 for 12 en route to 14 points. What's more, Laub also racked up three assists, the most she's had since back in January of 2024.

Meanwhile, Kankakee Valley posted their biggest victory since December 29, 2023 on Thursday. Everything went their way against Portage as Kankakee Valley made off with a 55-32 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Kougars have posted against the Indians since January 26, 2017.

Kankakee Valley's win came from a few key players Lowell will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Camry Krueger, who went 6 of 15 on her way to 16 points in addition to seven assists and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jenna Walker, who earned 13 points and five boards.

Kankakee Valley's win bumped their record up to 8-14. As for Lowell, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-9.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lowell has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Kankakee Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Lowell barely slipped by Kankakee Valley in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, winning 33-32. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lowell since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.