Elmwood-Murdock has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Ainsworth Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Elmwood-Murdock will be strutting in after a win while Ainsworth will be coming in after a loss.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up ten more assists than your opponent, a fact Elmwood-Murdock proved on Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 60-41 win over Brownell Talbot. Given Elmwood-Murdock's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 35th, while Brownell Talbot is ranked 223rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Elmwood-Murdock got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Tatum Backemeyer out in front who scored 27 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Laney Frahm, who dropped a triple-double on 11 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists.
Meanwhile, Ainsworth was just a bucket shy of victory on Thursday and fell 52-51 to Niobrara/Verdigre.
Despite their defeat, Ainsworth saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Karli Kral, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Kendyl Delimont was another key contributor, scoring 17 points.
Elmwood-Murdock pushed their record up to 23-1 with that victory, which was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.0 points per game. As for Ainsworth, their loss dropped their record down to 13-10.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Elmwood-Murdock have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ainsworth struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
