Basketball Game Preview: Russell Broncos vs. Smith Center Redmen

Russell has gone 8-2 against Smith Center recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Russell Broncos will take on the Smith Center Redmen at 3:00 p.m. Russell is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.4 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, Russell strolled past Smith Center with points to spare, taking the game 63-48. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Broncos.

Russell's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ayden Wagner, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds. That's the most boards Wagner has posted since back in December of 2023. Sam Thielen was another key player, going 5 for 8 en route to 13 points and four steals.

Russell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive matches.

This is the second loss in a row for Smith Center and nudges their season record down to 3-6. As for Russell, the win got them back to even at 4-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Russell has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 30 boards per game. However, it's not like Smith Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.