Basketball Game Preview: Otis-Bison Cougars vs. Ellinwood Eagles

Having just played yesterday, the Otis-Bison Cougars will get right back to it and host the Ellinwood Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Ellinwood will be up against a hot Otis-Bison team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Otis-Bison came within five points of losing the streak, but they secured a 66-61 W against Macksville. The win was all the more spectacular given the Cougars' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 251st, while the Mustangs are ranked 86th).

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ellinwood). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Kinsley 79-39.

Otis-Bison better keep an eye on Landon Simpson. He was instrumental in Ellinwood's win, going 11-for-20 from beyond the arc en route to 50 points along with seven rebounds and six steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which Simpson has scored at least a third of Ellinwood's points. Another player making a difference was Layton Wirtz, who went 5-for-8 on his way to 14 points.

Otis-Bison's victory bumped their record up to 9-10. As for Ellinwood, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.

Otis-Bison came up short against Ellinwood in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 52-48. Will Otis-Bison have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.