Lincoln is on a six-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Bellevue West is on a eight-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Lincoln Lynx will host the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Monday, Lincoln took their match with ease, bagging an 83-40 win over Sioux City North. The Lynx have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 21 points or more this season.
Creighton Bracker
| 01/06/25 @ Sioux City North | 27 |
| 01/04/25 @ Papillion-LaVista | 7 |
| 12/21/24 vs Omaha Central | 11 |
| 12/17/24 vs Le Mars | 25 |
| 12/10/24 @ Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 16 |
It was another big night for Creighton Bracker, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and 13 boards. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 16.3 points per game. Aiden Sandbothe was another key player, putting up eight points and eight rebounds.
Lincoln was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in January of 2024.
Meanwhile, Bellevue West beat Omaha North 73-65 on Tuesday. Given the Thunderbirds' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Vikings are ranked 90th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Bellevue West's win came from a few key players Lincoln will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Robert Garcia, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten boards. His evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Carsen Schultz, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 17 points and four steals.
Bellevue West has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 80.8 points per game. As for Lincoln, their victory bumped their record up to 7-0.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lincoln has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Bellevue West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lincoln took a serious blow against Bellevue West in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 87-55. Will Lincoln have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
