Basketball Game Preview: Harding County Ranchers vs. Tiospaye Topa Thunderhawks

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Previous Games

02/08/24 - Home	70-34 W
02/09/23 - Away	89-44 W
02/10/22 - Home	77-28 W
02/03/22 - Home	85-29 W
02/13/20 - Away	93-69 W
+ 4 more games

Harding County is a perfect 9-0 against Tiospaye Topa since January of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Harding County Ranchers will head out to face off against the Tiospaye Topa Thunderhawks at 7:30 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses apiece.

Harding County is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They fell just short of Grant County co-op [Carson/Elgin-New Leipzig/Mott-Regent] by a score of 67-65 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Ranchers have suffered since January 9, 2024.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Cohen Smith, who went 8-for-19 to rack up 18 points. Another player making a difference was Evan Meyer, who went 5-for-8 en route to 11 points and four steals.

Meanwhile, Tiospaye Topa played a tough match on Saturday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 66-25 loss at the hands of Sioux Valley. The Thunderhawks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-14.

Harding County will have to keep a close watch on Andrei Hojas and Jacolby Rousseau, a pair of players who had a big impact on Tiospaye Topa's prior game. Hojas posted eight points, while Rousseau scored ten points and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Steven Garnett, who had four points and five boards.

Harding County's record now sits at 5-8. As for Tiospaye Topa, their record now sits at 4-10.

Everything came up roses for Harding County against Tiospaye Topa in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 70-34 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Harding County since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.