Basketball Preview: Lone Star Longhorns vs. Otis Bulldogs
Lone Star is 6-1 against the Bulldogs since February of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Lone Star Longhorns will head out on the road to challenge the Otis Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Colorado (Lone Star is ranked 205th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 208th).
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 17 to 4 on the offensive boards, a fact Lone Star proved last Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Belleview Christian 51-19 on the road. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as Lone Star just coasted through the last quarter.
Lone Star's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Amanda Kubitz led the charge by scoring five points along with 11 rebounds and eight steals. Another player making a difference was Peytyn Kuntz, who scored 11 points along with four steals.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Otis ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They snuck past Hi-Plains with a 41-36 victory. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Otis.
Otis' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kayce Perry, who scored four points along with four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Lydia Willeke, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Lone Star's win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-7. As for Otis, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 5-8 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lone Star have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Otis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lone Star was dealt a bruising 63-28 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs in their previous matchup back in January of 2023. Thankfully for Lone Star, Hailey Stivers (who scored 16 points along with two steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
