East Butler hasn't had much luck against Cross County recently, but that could start to change on Monday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the East Butler Tigers duke it out with the Cross County Cougars at 3:00 p.m. East Butler is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games.
East Butler's tournament run continued when they took on Osceola on Saturday. East Butler secured a 39-34 W over Osceola.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead East Butler to victory, but perhaps none more so than Margret Pekarek, who posted 12 points and eight boards. Lillie Kriz was another key player, dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds.
East Butler smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Cross County over Hampton in every quarter on their way to victory on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Cross County blew Hampton out of the water with a 54-20 final score. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 23 points or more this season.
Cross County's win came from a few key players East Butler will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ema Dickey, who earned 11 points along with seven boards and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Lindee Kelley, who put up six points and four steals.
Cross County has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-2 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 24.3 points. As for East Butler, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: East Butler has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cross County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
East Butler took a serious blow against Cross County in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 65-30. Can East Butler avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
