Basketball Game Preview: Southeast Cyclones vs. Lingle-Fort Laramie Doggers

The Southeast Cyclones will head out to face off against the Lingle-Fort Laramie Doggers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Last Saturday, Southeast lost to Niobrara County at home by a 44-30 margin.

Southeast got a good chunk of their points from the dynamic duo of Beaux Shimic and TJ Moats, who each put up eight points. Moats also led the team in rebounds with nine. Ayden Desmond took the lead distributing the ball, coming up with two assists.

Meanwhile, Lingle-Fort Laramie put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Morrill to the tune of 63-35. Given the Doggers' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked fifth in Wyoming, while the Lions are ranked 158th in Nebraska), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lingle-Fort Laramie's win came from a few key players Southeast will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brody Roberts, who went 9 of 13 on his way to 21 points in addition to seven rebounds and six assists. He is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last ten games he's played. Brady Cook was another key player, dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten boards.

Lingle-Fort Laramie's victory was their 20th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.4 points per game. As for Southeast, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-6 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Southeast has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 27.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Lingle-Fort Laramie struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Southeast might still be hurting after the 47-27 loss they got from Lingle-Fort Laramie when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can Southeast avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.