The Western Panthers will challenge the Maconaquah Braves at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Western has given up an average of 49.7 points per game this season, so hopefully the team got some defensive drills in this week.
Western is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Carroll just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell 57-48 to the Cougars.
Western might have lost, but man, Carter Biggs was a machine: he almost dropped a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. What's more, Biggs racked up six assists, the most he's had since back in January of 2024. Sam Thurston was another key player, putting up nine points.
Meanwhile, Maconaquah waltzed into their match on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Zebras 82-61. The Braves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 21 points or more this season.
Maconaquah's win came from a few key players Western will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Josiah Ball, who almost dropped a double-double with 36 points and nine boards. That makes it four consecutive games in which he has scored at least a third of Maconaquah's points. Another player making a difference was AJ Kelly, who shot 73% from the field on his way to 22 points and three blocks.
Maconaquah was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They are 15-2 when they've passed the ball that well.
Maconaquah's victory bumped their record up to 17-5. As for Western, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Western has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 23.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Maconaquah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Western came up short against Maconaquah in their previous matchup back in January, falling 72-68. Can Western avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
