Basketball Game Preview: Freeman Flyers vs. Scotland/Menno Trappers

The Freeman Flyers will square off against the Scotland/Menno Trappers at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. Freeman knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Scotland/Menno likes a good challenge.

Freeman is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Centerville just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Tuesday. The contest between them and the Tornadoes didn't end well, with Freeman falling 73-58. While losing is never fun, the Flyers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Dakota basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Tornadoes are ranked fifth).

Despite their defeat, Freeman saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Cadence Hofer, who went 8 for 15 en route to 16 points in addition to six assists and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. The dominant performance gave Hofer a new career-high in assists. Rylee Peters was another key player, dropping a double-double on 18 points and 11 boards.

Hofer wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Freeman was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Scotland/Menno, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They pulled ahead with a 38-37 photo finish over Alcester-Hudson on Saturday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Trappers as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.

Scotland/Menno's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Freeman, their loss dropped their record down to 9-2.