The Centura Centurions and the Cozad Haymakers will face off at 6:30 p.m. on February 5th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Hopefully Centura focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 20 on Tuesday.
After a string of three wins, Centura's good fortune finally ran out. They were outmatched by Doniphan-Trumbull on the road and fell 75-36. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Centura in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost eight in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Mason Gorecki, who scored eight points along with five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Barrett Fries, who scored eight points along with two blocks.
Meanwhile, Cozad earned a 50-37 win over the Whippets on Friday. Given Cozad's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while the Whippets are ranked 95th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cozad's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Noah Shoemaker led the charge by scoring 16 points along with five assists and three steals. Monty Brooks-follmer was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Centura's loss dropped their record down to 4-14. As for Cozad, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season.
Monday's matchup is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Centura have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cozad struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Centura couldn't quite finish off the Haymakers when the teams last played back in January of 2023 and fell 50-47. Can Centura avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
