McCool Junction hasn't had much luck against Deshler recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The McCool Junction Mustangs will head out to square off against the Deshler Dragons at 8:00 p.m. McCool Junction has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.
Last Thursday, McCool Junction took their match with ease, bagging a 69-39 victory over Meridian. Given McCool Junction's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 72nd, while Meridian is ranked 272nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/09/25 @ Meridian | 16 |
| 01/07/25 @ Lawrence-Nelson | 27 |
| 01/04/25 vs Heartland | 33 |
| 01/03/25 @ Sutton | 26 |
| 12/30/24 @ Freeman | 15 |
McCool Junction's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mapieu Kouchinin, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 boards. Kouchinin's evening made it 15 games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Mcdonald, who posted eight points along with 12 assists and five rebounds.
McCool Junction was working as a unit and finished the game with 26 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after only 26 points in their last contest, Deshler made sure to put some points up on the board against Hampton on Tuesday. Deshler enjoyed a cozy 59-40 victory over Hampton.
Deshler's win came from a few key players McCool Junction will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Carson Sieber, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 17 boards. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in blocks (five). Easton Nash was another key player, going 8 of 17 on his way to 21 points along with six boards and five assists.
McCool Junction's record now sits at 9-3. As for Deshler, their record is now 7-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: McCool Junction has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Deshler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
McCool Junction was able to grind out a solid win over Deshler in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, winning 52-39. Does McCool Junction have another victory up their sleeve, or will Deshler turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
