Elm Creek is 9-1 against Bertrand since December of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Elm Creek Buffaloes just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Bertrand Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Elm Creek sitting on five straight wins and Bertrand on four.
On Thursday, Elm Creek took their matchup with ease, bagging a 62-0 victory over Minden. That looming 62-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Buffaloes yet this season.
| 12/19/24 @ Minden | 4 |
| 12/14/24 vs Ansley/Litchfield | 5 |
| 12/13/24 @ Sumner-Eddyville-Miller | 4 |
Elm Creek's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Quin Oberg led the charge by going 8 of 17 on his way to 20 points and four steals. Oberg has been hot recently, having posted four or more steals the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Blake Erickson, who went 6 of 11 on his way to 15 points.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Bertrand sidestepped Hi-Line [Eustis-Farnam/Elwood] for a 45-43 win. That's two games straight that the Vikings have won by exactly two points.
Bertrand's win came from a few key players Elm Creek will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Hunter Nelson, who posted 16 points and five steals. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.2 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Marcus Hernandez, who put up seven points and 15 rebounds.
Bertrand smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.
Elm Creek's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Bertrand, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Elm Creek didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Bertrand in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 61-56 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hernandez, who went 7 of 10 on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Elm Creek still be able to contain Hernandez? There's only one way to find out.
