Preview: Minneola Wildcats vs. Bucklin Red Aces
After two games on the road, Minneola is heading back home. They will take on the Bucklin Red Aces at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Minneola will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Kansas Rankings (they are ranked 262nd, while Bucklin is ranked 26th).
On Friday, things could have been worse for Minneola, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 53-39 loss to LaCrosse.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Braegen Shelor, who scored 15 points along with five rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Maiya Shelor, who scored 17 points along with five steals.
In what's become a running theme this season, Bucklin gave their fans yet another huge victory on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Ashland 74-38 at home. The victory was nothing new for Bucklin as they're now sitting on six straight.
Bucklin found their leader in underclassman Emmerson Kirk, who scored 21 points along with five assists and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Kirk has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Sydnie Jones, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds.
Minneola has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-14 record this season. As for Bucklin, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-3 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Minneola have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bucklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Minneola didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Bucklin when the teams last played back in February of 2023, but they still walked away with a 48-43 win. Does Minneola have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bucklin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
