Basketball Game Preview: Elkhorn Valley Falcons vs. Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars

The Elkhorn Valley Falcons and the Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars will face off at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday without much rest, having both just played. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Elkhorn Valley comes in on 24 and Niobrara/Verdigre on three.

Elkhorn Valley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They came out on top against Wisner-Pilger by a score of 57-44. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Gators are ranked 132nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Elkhorn Valley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cameron Rutjens, who posted 17 points in addition to eight boards and four steals. Karlee Broberg was another key player, putting up 14 points and five rebounds.

Elkhorn Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Niobrara/Verdigre hadn't done well against Elgin/Pope John recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Niobrara/Verdigre walked away with a 56-44 win over Elgin/Pope John.

Elkhorn Valley's victory was their 15th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.1 points over those games. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, their win bumped their record up to 17-8.