Basketball Game Preview: Westhope/Newburg Sioux vs. North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette] Cougars

The Westhope/Newburg Sioux will square off against the North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette] Cougars at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Westhope/Newburg's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last six games.

Westhope/Newburg is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Dakota's top teams: Mohall/Lansford/Sherwood, who was ranked 14th at the time (Westhope/Newburg was ranked 12th). Westhope/Newburg simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Mohall/Lansford/Sherwood 85-49. The Sioux have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten matchups by 23 points or more this season.

Walker Braaten continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 12 of 17 on his way to 28 points in addition to five boards and three steals. He has been hot, having posted three or more steals the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Hunter Tolstad, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette] had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They took their contest on Thursday with ease, bagging a 69-42 win over Drayton/Valley-Edinburg.

Westhope/Newburg's victory was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 32.5 points. As for North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette], their win was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 2-9.

Everything came up roses for Westhope/Newburg against North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette] when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 78-47 victory. Will Westhope/Newburg repeat their success, or does North Prairie co-op [Rolla/Rolette] have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.