The Maywood/Hayes Center Wolves just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Anselmo-Merna Coyotes at 2:30 p.m. on February 3rd. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Maywood/Hayes Center didn't have too much trouble with the Falcons at home as they won 48-31. Given Maywood/Hayes Center's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 45th, while the Falcons are ranked 157th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Maywood/Hayes Center found their leader in underclassman Karissa Stengel, who scored 20 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Stengel has scored all season. Caylie Softley was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Meanwhile, Anselmo-Merna strolled past the Wolves with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 62-43.
Anselmo-Merna's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Rhianen Myers, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds and three steals, and Makenna Miller, who almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. Miller is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least three every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Adyson Priest, who scored eight points.
Maywood/Hayes Center pushed their record up to 17-2 with that win, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.8 points per game. As for Anselmo-Merna, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-12.
Saturday's matchup is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Maywood/Hayes Center have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Anselmo-Merna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Maywood/Hayes Center strolled past the Coyotes in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 by a score of 54-36. The rematch might be a little tougher for Maywood/Hayes Center since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
