Basketball Game Preview: Waverly Vikings vs. Elkhorn North

The Waverly Vikings will head out on the road to square off against Elkhorn North at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Waverly is coming into the game hot, having won their last eight games.

Last Friday, Waverly earned a 53-43 win over Standing Bear. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Grizzlies are ranked 169th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Waverly got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Berkley Lambrecht out in front who posted 15 points. The dominant performance gave Lambrecht a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Parker Christiansen, who had 14 points.

Meanwhile, Elkhorn North strolled past Blair with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 43-28. The win made it back-to-back victories for Elkhorn North.

Waverly pushed their record up to 12-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.8 points per game. As for Elkhorn North, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-7 record this season.

Waverly was able to grind out a solid victory over Elkhorn North in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, winning 58-48. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Elkhorn North's Britt Prince, who almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Waverly to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.