Preview: Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] Bobcats vs. Elkhorn Valley Falcons
The Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] Bobcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Elkhorn Valley Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 20 to 6 on the offensive boards, a fact Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] proved on Friday. They came out on top against Osmond/Randolph by a score of 45-32. Given Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while Osmond/Randolph is ranked 247th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s success was spearheaded by the efforts of Lydia Robertson, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds, and Adyson Mlnarik, who scored 20 points along with nine rebounds and two steals. Mlnarik is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Ella Bolling, who scored six points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Elkhorn Valley stacked a sixth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Saturday. They blew past Boyd County 58-35. With that win, Elkhorn Valley brought their scoring average up to 50.3 points per game.
Elkhorn Valley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from JJ Black, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. Black has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last ten times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Karlee Broberg, who scored 20 points along with two steals.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-2 record this season. As for Elkhorn Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 8-4.
Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Elkhorn Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 30.7 rebounds per game. Given Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard]'s sizeable advantage in that area, Elkhorn Valley will need to find a way to close that gap.
Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] barely slipped by Elkhorn Valley in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, winning 25-24. Does Summerland [Clearwater/Ewing/Orchard] have another victory up their sleeve, or will Elkhorn Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
