Basketball Game Preview: Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars vs. Chambers/Wheeler Central Renegades

The Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Chambers/Wheeler Central Renegades at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

Niobrara/Verdigre is headed into Tuesday's contest hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight losses. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 44-40 heartbreaker at the hands of Wynot.

Meanwhile, Chambers/Wheeler Central was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 57-53 to Bloomfield. The defeat continues a trend for the Renegades in their matchups with the Bees: they've now lost three in a row.

Niobrara/Verdigre will need focus on slowing down Lizzie Gartner, one of several Chambers/Wheeler Central players who made an impact when they last played. She went 8 of 14 en route to 23 points. The dominant performance gave Gartner a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Ella Moses, who went 5 for 11 on her way to 14 points and three steals.

Even though they lost, Chambers/Wheeler Central was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Niobrara/Verdigre's loss dropped their record down to 10-5. As for Chambers/Wheeler Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-8.

Everything came up roses for Niobrara/Verdigre against Chambers/Wheeler Central in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 57-24 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Niobrara/Verdigre since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.