Basketball Recap: McCool Junction Takes a Loss

After flying high against Nebraska Lutheran last Friday, McCool Junction came back down to earth. The McCool Junction Mustangs received a blow on Tuesday as they fell 68-49 to the Exeter-Milligan/Friend Bobcats. The Mustangs were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Bobcats apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Carson Mcdonald

Points

02/11/25 vs Exeter-Milligan/Friend	28
02/07/25 @ Nebraska Lutheran	22
02/04/25 vs East Butler	30

Despite the loss, McCool Junction still got an impressive performance from Carson Mcdonald, who went 10-for-17 on his way to 28 points and six boards. The game was Mcdonald's third in a row with at least 22 points. Joey Pedersen also deserves some recognition as he grabbed his first steal of the season.

Exeter-Milligan/Friend found their leader in sophomore Grady Bresson, who shot 5-for-9 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Bresson a new career-high in steals (six). Zach Vossler was another key player, dropping a double-double with 11 points and ten boards.

McCool Junction's record now sits at 16-5. As for Exeter-Milligan/Friend, their victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-3.

McCool Junction and Exeter-Milligan/Friend should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Nebraska Rankings. McCool Junction will challenge Dorchester at 7:30 p.m. on Friday up 217 places (63 vs. 280). McCool Junction is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 61.4 points per game this season. Similarly, Exeter-Milligan/Friend (ranked 30th) will meet Diller-Odell (ranked 166th) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.