Basketball Game Preview: Amherst Broncos vs. Cozad Haymakers

The Amherst Broncos will square off against the Cozad Haymakers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Amherst comes in on four and Cozad on three.

Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Amherst beat Pleasanton 67-61.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cozad). They simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat Centura 80-45. The Haymakers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 35 points or more this season.

Amherst better keep an eye on Noah Shoemaker. He was instrumental in Cozad's win, almost dropping a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. That's the most points Shoemaker has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Chayden Hoffmaster, who went 5 of 9 on his way to 10 points and five boards.

Cozad smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive contests.

Amherst pushed their record up to 10-3 with the victory, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.2 points per game. As for Cozad, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-2 record this season.

Amherst didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Cozad in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 44-38 win. Does Amherst have another victory up their sleeve, or will Cozad turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.