Basketball Game Preview: Norton Bluejays vs. McCook Bison

vs

Previous 6 Games

12/12/24 - Neutral	69-56 W
12/11/21 - Neutral	43-51 L
12/11/20 - Neutral	57-29 W
12/07/18 - Neutral	25-47 L
12/10/16 - Neutral	48-32 W
12/12/15 - Neutral	36-38 L

Norton and McCook are an even 3-3 against one another since December of 2015, but not for long. The Bluejays will take on the Bison at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Norton gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They took down Hoxie 59-43. The win continues a trend for the Bluejays in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won three in a row.

Ashton Kats had a dynamite game, going 7-for-16 en route to 19 points and seven boards. What's more, he posted two steals, the most he's had since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Hudson Wicker, who had seven points along with nine rebounds and five steals.

Meanwhile, McCook had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They enjoyed a cozy 66-52 victory over Chase County on Friday. The Bison pushed the score to 55-35 by the end of the third, a deficit the Longhorns cut but never quite recovered from.

Norton better keep an eye on Brody Graham. He was instrumental in McCook's win, shooting 75% from the field on his way to 13 points and six assists. Another player making a difference was Bryson Gullion, who put up 11 points and five boards.

McCook was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. They racked up 13 more assists than Chase County's also-impressive total of ten.

Norton beat McCook 69-56 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Will the Bluejays repeat their success, or do the Bison have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.