Basketball Game Preview: Bennington Badgers vs. Elkhorn North

The Bennington Badgers just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face Elkhorn North at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Elkhorn North will be up against a hot Bennington squad: the team just extended their winning streak to five. Bennington enjoyed a cozy 78-61 victory over Blair on Wednesday. Given the Badgers' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 28th in Nebraska, while the Bears are ranked 95th in Nebraska), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Austin Kaiser

Assists (Career)

02/26/25 vs Blair	8
01/10/25 vs Scottsbluff	6
01/07/25 @ Blair	6
01/16/25 @ Waverly	5
02/22/24 vs Blair	5

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Bennington to victory, but perhaps none more so than Austin Kaiser, who posted 15 points in addition to eight assists and four steals. Those eight assists gave Kaiser a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jace Fitzgerald, who scored 16 points.

Kaiser wasn't the only one working in the assist department: Bennington was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. Bennington is 14-6 when they've passed the ball that well.

Meanwhile, Elkhorn North had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They were the clear victor by an 81-57 margin over Roncalli Catholic on Wednesday. Elkhorn North has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 22 points or more this season.

Elkhorn North has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.4 points over those games. Bennington's record now sits at 15-8.

Bennington came up short against Elkhorn North when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 73-62. Can Bennington avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.