Basketball Game Preview: Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers vs. Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats

A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Panthers face off against the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Bancroft-Rosalie's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Hartington-Newcastle has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.

On Thursday, Bancroft-Rosalie was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 51-46 to Howells-Dodge.

Meanwhile, Hartington-Newcastle earned a 54-47 win over Creighton on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won three in a row.

Hartington-Newcastle's win came from a few key players Bancroft-Rosalie will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Austin Sudbeck, who posted 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brayden Lammers, who put up 14 points.

Hartington-Newcastle's win bumped their record up to 10-14. As for Bancroft-Rosalie, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 20-4.

Bancroft-Rosalie took their victory against Hartington-Newcastle when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 59-34. Will Bancroft-Rosalie repeat their success, or does Hartington-Newcastle have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.