The Cozad Haymakers and the Centura Centurions will face off at 6:30 p.m. on February 5th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Hopefully Cozad is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Centurions in Nebraska (the Haymakers are ranked 26th, while the Centurions are ranked 190th).
On Friday, Cozad was able to grind out a solid win over the Whippets, taking the game 50-37. The win made it back-to-back wins for Cozad.
Cozad's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Noah Shoemaker led the charge by scoring 16 points along with five assists and three steals. Monty Brooks-follmer was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Centura unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They were beaten by Doniphan-Trumbull 75-36. Centura has struggled against the Cardinals recently, as their game on Tuesday was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite their loss, Centura saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Mason Gorecki, who scored eight points along with five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Barrett Fries, who scored eight points along with two blocks.
Cozad has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. As for Centura, their loss dropped their record down to 4-14.
Monday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Cozad have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Centura struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Cozad skirted past the Centurions 50-47 when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Will Cozad repeat their success, or do the Centurions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
