Basketball Preview: Ansley/Litchfield Spartans vs. Arcadia/Loup City Rebels
Ansley/Litchfield is 7-2 against the Rebels since December of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Ansley/Litchfield Spartans will be staying on the road to face off against the Arcadia/Loup City Rebels at 6:00 p.m. on February 6th. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Ansley/Litchfield won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Monday. They suffered a tough 56-33 defeat at the hands of Overton. Ansley/Litchfield has not had much luck with the Eagles recently, as the team's come up short the last seven times they've met.
Ansley/Litchfield's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Kerry Ryan, who scored four points along with six rebounds and three blocks, and Ava Paitz who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 62 points the game before, Arcadia/Loup City were a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They were dealt a 57-22 loss at the hands of Centura. While losing is never fun, Arcadia/Loup City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 237th, while the Centurions are ranked 57th).
Ansley/Litchfield's loss was their seventh straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-14. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 24.7 points per game. As for Arcadia/Loup City, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-14 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ansley/Litchfield have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Arcadia/Loup City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ansley/Litchfield didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against the Rebels when the teams last played back in February of 2023, but they still walked away with a 37-32 win. Will Ansley/Litchfield repeat their success, or do the Rebels have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
