Basketball Game Preview: Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays vs. Johnson-Brock Eagles

It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays face off against Johnson-Brock Eagles at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the court, which might have inspired the 21-point drubbing they dealt Thayer Central on Friday. Everything went Guardian Angels Central Catholic's way against Thayer Central as Guardian Angels Central Catholic made off with a 59-38 win.

Meanwhile, Johnson-Brock had already won 24 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27 points) and they went ahead and made it 25 on Friday. They claimed a resounding 65-15 victory over Valentine. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while Valentine are ranked 175th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Johnson-Brock's win came from a few key players Guardian Angels Central Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Taryn Ottemann, who dropped a double-double with 22 points and 13 boards. What's more, she posted five assists, the most she's had since back in December of 2024. Chloe Vice was another key player, going 5-for-11 en route to 13 points along with seven assists and four steals.

Johnson-Brock smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 19 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic's win was their tenth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-5. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.7 points over those games. As for Johnson-Brock, their record now sits at 25-1.