The Lincoln Southwest Silver Hawks will challenge the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Lincoln Southwest is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.6 points per game this season.
Lincoln Southwest is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. The game between them and Millard West didn't end well, with Lincoln Southwest falling 68-51. While losing is never fun, the Silver Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while the Wildcats are ranked first).
Kaytee Irons-Buettner
| 02/07/25 @ Millard West | 22 |
| 01/18/25 @ Benson | 21 |
| 01/30/25 vs Lincoln High | 19 |
| 01/14/25 vs Bellevue East | 19 |
| 12/14/24 vs Kearney | 19 |
Despite the defeat, Lincoln Southwest saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kaytee Irons-Buettner went 9 of 20 en route to 22 points and six boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Irons-Buettner has scored all season. Kallen Stauffer was another key player, putting up nine points.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Bellevue West's strategy against Kearney on Saturday. Bellevue West walked away with a 43-34 win over Kearney. The Thunderbirds haven't had any issues with the Bearcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Bellevue West found their leader in freshman Stevie Harley, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 20 rebounds. Harley is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 12 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Da'Nyla Tatum, who posted 14 points.
Bellevue West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive contests.
Lincoln Southwest's loss dropped their record down to 14-5. As for Bellevue West, their win bumped their record up to 11-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lincoln Southwest has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bellevue West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lincoln Southwest came up short against Bellevue West when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 57-51. Will Lincoln Southwest have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
