Basketball Game Preview: Northern Valley Huskies vs. Cheylin Cougars

Having just played yesterday, the Northern Valley Huskies will get right back to it and host the Cheylin Cougars at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Northern Valley will be strutting in after a win while Cheylin will be coming in after a defeat.

On Friday, Northern Valley beat Western Plains 48-40.

Gavin Thalheim

Points

02/07/25 @ Western Plains	23
02/04/25 @ Weskan	14
12/21/24 vs Thunder Ridge	10
12/20/24 vs Weskan	8
12/17/24 @ Arapahoe	16
+ 4 more games

Gavin Thalheim was his usual excellent self, going 9 of 17 to rack up 23 points in addition to six rebounds and six steals. That's the most points he has posted since back in December of 2024. Owen Hammond was another key player, putting up seven points along with 14 boards and three steals.

Northern Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Cheylin came up short against Wheatland-Grinnell on Tuesday and fell 54-45. The Cougars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Northern Valley will need to focus on slowing down Landon Schoenberger, one of several Cheylin players who made an impact when they last played. He earned 15 points in addition to five assists and four steals. Schoenberger is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kohen Pochop, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Northern Valley's victory ended a seven-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-12. As for Cheylin, their loss dropped their record down to 7-7.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Northern Valley has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Cheylin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Northern Valley might still be hurting after the 65-40 defeat they got from Cheylin when the teams last played back in January. Will Northern Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.