Basketball Game Preview: Heartland Huskies vs. Giltner Hornets

After both having extra time off, the Heartland Huskies and the Giltner Hornets will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another on Friday. Heartland is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.

Last Friday, Heartland was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 47-42 to Thayer Central. That's two games in a row now that the Huskies have lost by exactly five points.

Sam Quiring put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 7 of 13 en route to 18 points and six rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Siebert, who posted nine points.

Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 72-29, which was the final score in Giltner's tilt against High Plains last Friday. The Hornets have struggled against the Storm recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Heartland will need focus on slowing down Brody Rudy, one of several Giltner players who made an impact when they last played. He had ten points. Another player making a difference was Blaydon White, who posted four points.

Giltner's defeat dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Heartland, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Heartland has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Giltner struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Heartland beat Giltner 47-40 in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Does Heartland have another victory up their sleeve, or will Giltner turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.