Basketball Game Preview: Maxwell Wildcats vs. South Loup

Maxwell hasn't had much luck against South Loup recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Maxwell Wildcats will head out to face off against South Loup at 7:00 p.m. South Loup took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Maxwell, who comes in off a win.

Maxwell took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Maywood/Hayes Center by a score of 57-46. The win was all the more spectacular given the Wildcats' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 259th, while the Wolves are ranked 126th).

Maxwell got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Cole Huffman out in front who went 7 for 13 on his way to 21 points and seven rebounds. With that strong performance, Huffman is now averaging an impressive 15.6 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Joaquin Vega, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 14 points and eight rebounds.

Maxwell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, after a string of seven wins, South Loup's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell 60-51 to Bertrand.

Maxwell's win bumped their record up to 3-8. As for South Loup, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Maxwell took a serious blow against South Loup in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 66-37. Can Maxwell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.