Basketball Game Preview: Arickaree Bison vs. Bethune Bobcats

Arickaree has gone 7-0 against Bethune recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Arickaree Bison will look to defend their home court against the Bethune Bobcats at 7:00 p.m.

Last Friday, Arickaree ended up a good deal behind Hi-Plains and lost 53-35. While the Bison didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Patriots 17-10 in the first quarter.

Arickaree might have lost, but man, Ja'Niya Smith was a machine: she went 7 for 17 on her way to 21 points and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Smith is now averaging an impressive 15.8 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Raeya Schrock, who posted six points.

Meanwhile, Bethune hadn't done well against Deer Trail recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Bethune snuck past Deer Trail with a 40-35 victory.

Arickaree's loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Bethune, their win ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-3.

Arickaree took their victory against Bethune in their previous meeting back in January of 2024 by a conclusive 47-22. Will Arickaree repeat their success, or does Bethune have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.