Basketball Recap: Jaxson Vasicek Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat North Platte

Columbus barely beat North Platte the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Columbus Discoverers put the hurt on the North Platte Bulldogs with a sharp 76-52 win on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Discoverers.

Jaxson Vasicek

Blocked Shots (Career)

02/28/25 vs North Platte	5
01/02/25 vs Norfolk	2
12/21/24 vs South Sioux City	2
12/13/24 @ Lincoln Southeast	1

Columbus' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jaxson Vasicek, who went 5-for-12 to rack up 12 points along with seven boards and five blocks. Those five blocks gave Vasicek a new career-high. Quinn Freshour was another key player, putting up 11 points in addition to three steals and three blocks.

Columbus smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 11 consecutive matches.

When it comes to explaining why North Platte lost, don't look at Kalieb Odell. Despite the final result, he shot 60% from the field en route to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Broman, who posted nine points.

Columbus' victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 7-17. As for North Platte, they dropped their record down to 2-21 with the loss, which was their fifth straight on the road.

As of now, neither Columbus nor North Platte have any future games scheduled.