The McCook Bison are taking a road trip to take on the Minden Whippets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
McCook easily dispatched North Platte on Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Bison fell just short of Holdrege by a score of 44-41 on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, the Bison can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 131st, while the Dusters are ranked 20th).
Cali Crawford
| 01/27/26 @ Holdrege | 75% |
| 01/23/26 @ North Platte | 60% |
| 01/20/26 @ Lexington | 50% |
Despite their defeat, McCook saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Cali Crawford, who posted 12 points and seven boards, was perhaps the best of all. Crawford is also on a roll when it comes to three-point shooting accuracy, as she's posted one of at least 50% in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jaylea Walgren, who scored six points and 11 rebounds.
Minden had taken Broken Bow down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Tuesday. The Whippets took a 51-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Indians. While the Whippets didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Indians 18-14 in the first quarter.
Like McCook, Minden lost despite seeing results from several players. Kaleigh Carr led the charge by dropping a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Thanks to that strong game, Carr now owns an excellent 41.4% three-point shooting accuracy. Myla Emery was another key player, putting up eight points and seven rebounds.
McCook has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost nine of their last 11 matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-11 record this season. As for Minden, their record now sits at 10-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: McCook has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Minden struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
McCook couldn't quite get it done against Minden when the teams last played last Saturday as they fell 45-32. Can the Bison avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
