The Pender Pendragons will take on the Clarkson/Leigh Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Pender's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Clarkson/Leigh has been banged up by 16 consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, everything came up roses for Pender against Homer as the team secured a 70-31 victory. The Pendragons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 20 points or more this season.
| 01/14/25 vs Homer | 27 |
| 01/10/25 @ Wynot | 9 |
| 01/07/25 @ Bancroft-Rosalie | 8 |
| 01/04/25 vs Oakland-Craig | 4 |
| 01/09/25 @ Lyons-Decatur Northeast | 3 |
Pender found their leader in sophomore Zander Welsh, who went 9 of 17 on his way to 27 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Welsh has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Roth, who went 6 for 11 en route to 13 points and six boards.
Pender smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Clarkson/Leigh came up short against Archangels Catholic on Friday and fell 59-49. While losing is never fun, the Patriots can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 231st, while the Defenders are ranked 93rd).
Pender will have to contain Kyle McMullin as he made an impact in Clarkson/Leigh's last game. He dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds. Those 14 boards gave McMullin a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tucker Matthies, who posted 12 points and six rebounds.
Clarkson/Leigh's defeat dropped their record down to 2-12. As for Pender, their win bumped their record up to 13-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Pender has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Clarkson/Leigh struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Pender might still be hurting after the 62-37 loss they got from Clarkson/Leigh when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Can Pender avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
