Basketball Game Preview: Russell Broncos vs. Oakley Plainsmen

The Russell Broncos will face off against the Oakley Plainsmen at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Russell sitting on three straight wins and Oakley on 11.

Russell is headed into the matchup having just posted their biggest victory since February 16, 2024 on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Plainville with a sharp 46-24 win.

Russell can attribute much of their success to Taylor Birney, who went 6 of 11 on her way to 14 points and six steals, and Norah Mooney, who almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine rebounds. With that strong performance, Mooney is now averaging an impressive 2.1 steals per game. Another player making a difference was Kelvie Reeves, who went 5 for 11 en route to 10 points.

Russell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Oakley made easy work of St. Francis on Tuesday and carried off a 56-33 victory. The Plainsmen have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.

Oakley pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.1 points per game. As for Russell, their victory bumped their record up to 7-9.

Russell suffered a grim 59-35 defeat to Oakley in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Russell 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.