Basketball Game Preview: Howells-Dodge Jaguars vs. West Point-Beemer Cadets

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars and the West Point-Beemer Cadets will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Saturday, Howells-Dodge ended up a good deal behind Oakland-Craig and lost 50-36. The Jaguars haven't had much luck with the Knights recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.

Despite the defeat, Howells-Dodge saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Peyten Becker posted nine points and four steals. Those four steals set a new season-high mark for Becker. Jade Bayer was another key player, putting up five points and four steals.

Meanwhile, West Point-Beemer lost to North Bend Central on the road by a 54-39 margin on Thursday.

Howells-Dodge will have to contain Campbell Snodgrass as she made an impact in West Point-Beemer's last game. She put up 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Hunke, who had eight points.

West Point-Beemer's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Howells-Dodge, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 2-2.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Howells-Dodge has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 24.5 boards per game. However, it's not like West Point-Beemer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Howells-Dodge beat West Point-Beemer 50-42 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Howells-Dodge since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.