The Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the North Central Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Niobrara/Verdigre comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 52-11, which was the final score in Niobrara/Verdigre's tilt against the Falcons last Thursday. Niobrara/Verdigre was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-9.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, North Central's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They fell 59-48 to Elkhorn Valley. While losing is never fun, North Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 203rd, while the Falcons are ranked 48th).
Despite their loss, North Central saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Zak Swanson, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Swanson is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Kol Otten, who scored 12 points.
Niobrara/Verdigre's defeat was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-15. As for North Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.
Niobrara/Verdigre was dealt a bruising 68-30 loss at the hands of the Knights in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. The contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Niobrara/Verdigre was down 52-10.
