Basketball Game Preview: Morrill Lions vs. Hemingford Bobcats

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Morrill Lions challenge the Hemingford Bobcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday... The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.

Hemingford will be up against a hot Morrill squad: the team just extended their winning streak to six. Morrill breezed by Edgemont to the tune of 63-25 on Tuesday. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 24 points or more this season.

Ashwin Pittman was his usual excellent self, going 9 of 16 on his way to 19 points in addition to seven steals and five assists. The game was his fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ryder Green, who went 5 for 10 en route to 11 points along with six assists and six steals.

Morrill smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Hemingford made easy work of Sioux County on Saturday and carried off a 63-37 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bobcats.

Morrill is also on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.8 points per game. As for Hemingford, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-5.

Morrill didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Hemingford when the teams last played back in February of 2024, but they still walked away with a 48-42 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Morrill since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.