Basketball Game Preview: Oakley Plainsmen vs. Russell Broncos

The Oakley Plainsmen are taking a road trip to challenge the Russell Broncos at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Oakley will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.

Last Tuesday, Oakley got the win against St. Francis by a conclusive 56-33. The Plainsmen have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Russell posted their biggest victory since February 16, 2024 on Tuesday. They blew past Plainville 46-24. The win was familiar territory for the Broncos who have now won three games in a row.

Oakley better focus on containing Taylor Birney and Norah Mooney as the pair were huge in Russell's win. Birney went 6 of 11 en route to 14 points and six steals, while Mooney almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine boards. The dominant performance also gave Mooney a new career-high in steals (five). Kelvie Reeves was another key player, going 5 for 11 on her way to 10 points.

Russell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive matches.

Oakley pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.1 points per game. As for Russell, their win bumped their record up to 7-9.

Oakley took their victory against Russell in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 59-35. The rematch might be a little tougher for Oakley since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.