vs
| 01/23/24 - Home | 62-24 W |
| 01/06/24 - Home | 59-12 W |
| 01/07/23 - Away | 43-39 W |
| 01/08/22 - Home | 41-19 W |
| 01/09/21 - Away | 47-39 W |
| + 5 more games |
Minden is 9-1 against Valentine since January of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Minden Whippets will take on Valentine at 5:30 p.m. Minden will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Minden is headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing Beatrice: they outscored them in every quarter. Minden put the hurt on Beatrice with a sharp 53-32 win on Tuesday. Given the Whippets' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked third, while the Orangemen are ranked 61st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Myla Emery was her usual excellent self, going 7 of 9 on her way to 19 points in addition to five assists and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Kinsie Land, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Valentine, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Gordon-Rushville 55-27. Valentine's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Minden better focus on containing Aiden Hand and Paige Sprenger as the pair were huge in Valentine's win. Hand almost dropped a triple-double on nine points, 16 rebounds, and nine steals, while Sprenger went 11 of 24 on her way to 25 points and six steals. That makes it seven consecutive games in which Sprenger has scored at least a third of Valentine's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Benson Aubrey, who posted five points and 12 rebounds.
Valentine smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 30 offensive boards. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since the start of last season.
Valentine moved to 4-6 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak. As for Minden, they pushed their record up to 9-0 with the win, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Minden hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 56.1 points per game. It's a different story for Valentine, though, as they've been averaging only 39.9 points. The only thing between Minden and another offensive beatdown is Valentine. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Everything came up roses for Minden against Valentine when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the squad secured a 62-24 victory. In that contest, Minden amassed a halftime lead of 33-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
