Niobrara/Verdigre has gone 8-2 against Wausa recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars will take on the Wausa Vikings in a tournament on Thursday. Niobrara/Verdigre has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Niobrara/Verdigre is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They really took it to Neligh-Oakdale for the full four quarters, racking up a 67-31 win. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 81st, while the Warriors are ranked 237th), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/07/25 @ Neligh-Oakdale | 17 |
| 01/06/25 vs Wausa | 10 |
| 12/21/24 @ Creighton | 13 |
| 12/19/24 @ Crofton | 3 |
| 12/17/24 @ Hartington-Newcastle | 6 |
Eve Kucera had a dynamite game for Niobrara/Verdigre, dropping a double-double on 27 points and 17 rebounds. With that strong performance, Kucera is now averaging an impressive 8.1 rebounds per game. Another player making a difference was Delani Runnels, who posted 12 points in addition to five assists and five steals.
Niobrara/Verdigre smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive boards. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January of 2024.
Meanwhile, Wausa played a tough matchup on Monday in which they were outscored in every quarter. 2025 welcomed they with a 44-19 loss courtesy of Niobrara/Verdigre. The Vikings haven't had much luck with the Cougars recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Taylor Dawson was Wausa's leading scorer, having posted nine points. Carlie Kleinschmit held things down on the boards with six rebounds.
Wausa's defeat dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Niobrara/Verdigre has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Wausa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything went Niobrara/Verdigre's way against Wausa when the teams last played on Monday, as Niobrara/Verdigre made off with a 44-19 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Niobrara/Verdigre since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
