Lincoln North Star hasn't had much luck against Millard West recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Lincoln North Star Navigators will face off against the Millard West Wildcats at 1:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lincoln North Star comes in on four and Millard West on 24.
Lincoln North Star is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They snuck past Westview with a 47-42 victory.
Joyce Johnson
| 03/05/25 vs Westview | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Marian | 3 |
| 02/26/25 vs Omaha Northwest | 3 |
| 02/20/25 vs Millard South | 4 |
| 02/15/25 vs Millard North | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Ani Leu and Joyce Johnson were among the main playmakers for Lincoln North Star as the former went 6-for-9 on her way to 18 points and three steals and the latter posted 13 points and five assists. Johnson is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last seven games she's played.
Meanwhile, Millard West hadn't done well against Millard South recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Everything went Millard West's way against Millard South as Millard West made off with a 56-33 win. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 19 matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Millard West's win came from a few key players Lincoln North Star will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jade Lewis, who shot 45% from the field en route to 11 points and eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kylee Paben, who went 5-for-9 to rack up 13 points and seven boards.
They weren't the only ones working in the assist department: Millard West was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Millard South only three assists.
Lincoln North Star's record now sits at 19-5. As for Millard West, their record now sits at 26-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lincoln North Star has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 22.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Millard West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lincoln North Star suffered a grim 52-29 defeat to Millard West in their previous matchup back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Millard West's Norah Gessert, who shot 60% from the field on her way to 20 points along with seven rebounds and five blocks. Now that Lincoln North Star knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
