The Scottsbluff Bearcats will face off against the North Platte Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Scottsbluff knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven games -- so hopefully North Platte likes a good challenge.
If Scottsbluff beats North Platte with 86 points on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Scottsbluff took their contest on Saturday with ease, bagging an 86-56 win over Sidney. The Bearcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 games by 21 points or more this season.
Nate Kelley
| 02/08/25 vs Sidney | 22 |
| 02/07/25 @ Alliance | 15 |
| 02/01/25 vs Sidney | 19 |
Scottsbluff's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Nate Kelley led the charge by going 8 of 12 en route to 22 points in addition to six assists and five boards. The match was Kelley's third in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Tre Boswell, who went 9 for 17 to rack up 21 points along with six rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 82-42, which was the final score in North Platte's tilt against Crete on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 234th, while the Cardinals are ranked 33rd).
Scottsbluff will have to keep a close watch on Kalieb Odell and Eli Broman, a pair of players who had a big impact on North Platte's prior game. Odell posted 11 points, while Broman scored nine points. What's more, Broman also posted a 50% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's posted since back in December of 2024.
Scottsbluff's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-3. As for North Platte, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-18.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's contest: Scottsbluff has been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 36.6% of their threes per game. It's a different story for North Platte, though, as they've only made 25.7% of their three-pointers this season. Given Scottsbluff's sizable advantage in that area, North Platte will need to find a way to close that gap.
Scottsbluff came up short against North Platte in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 64-59. Will Scottsbluff have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
