Southwest hadn't done well against Axtell recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Southwest Roughriders secured a 64-60 W over the Axtell Wildcats. For the Roughriders, this counts as revenge for the 69-38 win the Wildcats walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2024.

Deric Kelley
02/14/25 vs Axtell | 17 |
01/14/25 vs Hi-Line [Eustis-Farnam/Elwood] | 15 |
01/11/25 vs Wauneta-Palisade | 15 |
01/25/25 vs Cambridge | 13 |
01/18/25 @ Southern Valley | 12 |
Southwest got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Deric Kelley out in front who dropped a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Those 17 boards gave Kelley a new career-high. Houston Billeter was another key player, dropping a double-double with 27 points and ten rebounds.
Southwest was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Despite the loss, Axtell still got an impressive performance from Jacob Halvorsen, who dropped a double-double with 26 points and 11 boards. The game was Halvorsen's third in a row with at least 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cade Axtell, who posted 14 points and five rebounds.
Southwest's win bumped their record up to 8-12. As for Axtell, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 12 matchups, which has put a noticeable dent in their 7-13 record this season.
Looking ahead, Southwest will be playing at home against Wallace at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Wallace has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Axtell, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 56-26 victory against Franklin on the 15th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps