Basketball Game Preview: Amherst Broncos vs. Axtell Wildcats

Amherst has gone 8-2 against Axtell recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The two teams will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. Amherst is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.

Amherst is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Arcadia/Loup City: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Broncos blew the Rebels out of the water with a 66-26 final score. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Broncos' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while the Rebels are ranked 157th).

Libby Mitchell

Steals

12/16/25 @ Arcadia/Loup City	4
12/12/25 vs Loomis	3
12/09/25 @ Broken Bow	2
12/06/25 vs South Loup	6

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Amherst to victory, but perhaps none more so than Libby Mitchell, who shot 43% from the field on her way to 18 points and four steals. Mitchell has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kylinn Daugherty, who went 5-for-10 to rack up 14 points and five steals.

Amherst smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards every time they've taken the court this season.

Meanwhile, Axtell strolled past Ansley/Litchfield with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 41-26.

The win got Axtell back to even at 3-3. As for Amherst, their record is now 5-0.

Everything went Amherst's way against Axtell in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, as Amherst made off with a 42-16 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Broncos since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.