South Platte is 8-2 against Paxton since December of 2014 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. Having just played yesterday, the South Platte Blue Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Paxton Tigers at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, South Platte was able to grind out a solid victory over Arthur County, taking the game 57-47. The Blue Knights haven't had any issues with the Wolves recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Jayla Paulsen
| 02/07/25 vs Arthur County | 13 |
| 01/31/25 vs Hemingford | 4 |
| 01/30/25 @ Garden County | 5 |
| 01/25/25 vs Leyton | 4 |
| 01/23/25 vs Bayard | 8 |
| + 15 more games |
South Platte found their leader in sophomore Jayla Paulsen, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. With that strong performance, Paulsen is now averaging an impressive 8 boards per game. Another player making a difference was Isabelle Reichman, who went 5 of 11 on her way to 17 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Paxton didn't have too much trouble with Sandhills Valley on Friday as they won 49-35. The Tigers pushed the score to 48-26 by the end of the third, a deficit the Mavericks cut but never quite recovered from.
Paxton's win came from a few key players South Platte will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jakcee Mitchell, who posted eight points in addition to nine boards and five steals. That's the most steals she has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Fote, who put up 12 points.
Paxton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Paxton's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-8. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 22.7 points over those games. As for South Platte, their record now sits at 15-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: South Platte has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Paxton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
South Platte didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Paxton when the teams last played back in February of 2024, but they still walked away with a 54-49 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Paxton's Jacelyn Jorgensen, who went 9 for 15 to rack up 25 points and six rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for South Platte to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
