Basketball Recap: Josie Rust's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Red Cloud over Hershey

Red Cloud was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They fell 63-52 to the Hershey Panthers.

Red Cloud's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josie Rust, who posted 17 points. That's the most points Rust has posted since back in December of 2023. Aiva Rust was another key player, putting up 13 points.

Red Cloud's loss dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Hershey, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.

Red Cloud and Hershey could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Nebraska Rankings. Red Cloud (ranked 149th) will meet Rock Hills (ranked 31st) at 6:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025. Meanwhile, Hershey (ranked 99th) will meet Broken Bow (ranked 24th) at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.