Basketball Recap: Peyton Penrose's Big Game Can't Quite Lead West Point-Beemer over Howells-Dodge

West Point-Beemer's game on Tuesday was all tied up 26-26 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They took a 57-53 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Howells-Dodge Jaguars. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Cadets of the 38-35 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February.

West Point-Beemer's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Peyton Penrose, who shot 55% from the field on his way to 14 points and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Hunter Swanson, who posted 14 points and six assists.

Howells-Dodge's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dane Meyer led the charge by putting up 12 points and seven boards. Meyer also put up a block, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Nathan Tomcak, who put up 14 points and six assists.

This is the second loss in a row for West Point-Beemer and nudges their season record down to 3-2. As for Howells-Dodge, they pushed their record up to 5-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.

West Point-Beemer and Howells-Dodge should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Nebraska Rankings. The Cadets (ranked 46th) will meet Clarkson/Leigh (ranked 137th) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, Howells-Dodge will face off against Lyons-Decatur Northeast at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with a big rank advantage (15 vs. 142).