Basketball Game Preview: Elkhorn Valley Falcons vs. Pender Pendragons

The Elkhorn Valley Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Pender Pendragons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Elkhorn Valley is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.

It was a Battle of the Birds when Elkhorn Valley took on Pierce on Saturday. Elkhorn Valley lost to Pierce at home by a 59-45 margin.

Kellyn Ollendick

Points

02/15/25 vs Pierce	25
02/11/25 vs Cedar Catholic	15
02/07/25 vs West Holt	24
02/04/25 vs Hartington-Newcastle	19

Despite the loss, Elkhorn Valley had strong showings from Kellyn Ollendick, who went 11-for-19 on his way to 25 points and three steals, and Korbin Werner, who went 7-for-12 en route to 18 points in addition to seven assists and six rebounds. The game was Ollendick's fourth in a row with at least 15 points.

Meanwhile, Pender hadn't done well against Guardian Angels Central Catholic recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way last Tuesday. Pender walked away with a 48-36 victory over Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Elkhorn Valley better keep an eye on Alex Roth. He was instrumental in Pender's win, dropping a double-double with 19 points and 11 boards. Another player making a difference was Ryan Krueger, who posted eight points and ten rebounds.

Pender smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 14 consecutive matchups.

Pender pushed their record up to 19-4 with the win, which was their ninth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.1 points over those games. As for Elkhorn Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-7.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elkhorn Valley has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Pender struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.3 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.