Basketball Game Preview: Viborg/Hurley Cougars vs. Howard Tigers

A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Cougars challenge the Tigers at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Viborg/Hurley's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Howard has been banged up by seven consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Last Tuesday, Viborg/Hurley beat Scotland/Menno 51-43. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' South Dakota basketball rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Trappers are ranked 91st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Howard didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Potter County co-op [Gettysburg/Hoven] on Friday, but they still walked away with a 51-45 victory.

Howard's win came from a few key players Viborg/Hurley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tana Hoyer, who went 8-for-11 en route to 22 points. Another player making a difference was Reese Rudebusch, who posted six points and three steals.

Viborg/Hurley is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. As for Howard, their win bumped their record up to 7-14.

Viborg/Hurley came up short against Howard when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 63-56. Will Viborg/Hurley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.