Paxton hasn't had much luck against South Platte recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The two teams will face off at 5:00 p.m. without much rest having both just played. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Paxton strolled past Sandhills Valley with points to spare, taking the game 49-35. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Mavericks: they've now won five in a row.
Paxton got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jakcee Mitchell out in front who posted eight points along with nine boards and five steals. That's the most steals Mitchell has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Fote, who put up 12 points.
Paxton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, South Platte earned a 57-47 win over Arthur County on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Blue Knights.
South Platte found their leader in sophomore Jayla Paulsen, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. With that strong performance, Paulsen is now averaging an impressive 8 boards per game. Isabelle Reichman was another key player, going 5 for 11 on her way to 17 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.
South Platte pushed their record up to 15-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points over those games. As for Paxton, their win bumped their record up to 11-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Paxton has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.4 boards per game. However, it's not like South Platte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Paxton came up short against South Platte when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 54-49. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of South Platte's Johanna Frerichs, who went 7 of 12 en route to 17 points along with seven boards and five assists. Now that Paxton knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
