The Belle Fourche Broncs will head out on the road to challenge the Harding County Ranchers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Belle Fourche is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.
Belle Fourche suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Saturday. They had to suffer through a rough 88-34 loss at the hands of Bowman County co-op [Bowman/Rhame]. While losing is never fun, Belle Fourche can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 123rd in South Dakota, while Bowman County co-op [Bowman/Rhame] is ranked eighth in North Dakota).
Despite the loss, Belle Fourche had strong showings from Isaac Voyles, who scored 12 points, and Jet Jensen, who scored ten points along with three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Voyles has scored all season.
Meanwhile, Harding County's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They took a 59-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of New England.
The losing side was boosted by Evan Meyer, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that he pulled down eight or more rebounds. Payton Dvorak was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Belle Fourche has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last seven contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season. As for Harding County, their defeat ended a nine-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Belle Fourche have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Harding County 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.
Belle Fourche ended up a good deal behind Harding County when the teams last played back in January of 2023, losing 62-48. Can Belle Fourche avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
