Basketball Recap: Wheatland-Grinnell Skates Past Western Plains with Ease

Thunderhawks

Margin (Wins)

12/17/24 vs St. Francis	42
12/06/24 @ Weskan	38
01/10/25 @ Logan/Palco	35
01/24/25 vs Western Plains	35
12/20/24 @ Golden Plains	33

Wheatland-Grinnell won against Northern Valley last Friday with 62 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Wheatland-Grinnell Thunderhawks simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Western Plains Bobcats 62-27. The Thunderhawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 30 points or more this season.

Wheatland-Grinnell got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Natalie Bixenman out in front who went 8 for 15 en route to 19 points along with eight boards and six assists. Another player making a difference was Marissa Beckman, who went 7 of 14 on her way to 17 points and three steals.

Wheatland-Grinnell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 15 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

When it comes to explaining why Western Plains lost, don't look at Madelyn Kraus. Despite the final result, she went 5 for 12 en route to 14 points in addition to six steals and five rebounds. Kraus has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played.

Wheatland-Grinnell has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.4 points per game. As for Western Plains, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.

Wheatland-Grinnell will host Oakley at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Oakley will roll in looking for their eighth straight victory, something Wheatland-Grinnell surely won't give up without a fight. As for Western Plains, they will head out to take on Heartland Christian at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.