Basketball Game Preview: Lincoln Northeast Rockets vs. Norfolk Panthers

The Lincoln Northeast Rockets will face off against the Norfolk Panthers at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. Lincoln Northeast knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Norfolk likes a good challenge.

Lincoln Northeast is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Blue Springs South: they outscored them in every quarter. Lincoln Northeast came out on top against Blue Springs South by a score of 74-62 on Saturday.

Lincoln Northeast's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Grant Fredericks, who went 7 for 9 on his way to 19 points and five rebounds. That's the most boards Fredericks has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Lazerek Houston, who posted 21 points in addition to eight boards and five assists.

Meanwhile, Norfolk played a tough game on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were beaten by Creighton Prep 85-37. The Panthers have struggled against the Junior Jays recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Lincoln Northeast will need focus on slowing down Landon Viergutz, one of several Norfolk players who made an impact when they last played. He put up eight points. Another player making a difference was Gavin Jarecki, who had nine points.

Lincoln Northeast's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Norfolk, they now have a losing record at 1-2.

Lincoln Northeast and Norfolk were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January, but Lincoln Northeast came up empty-handed after a 65-64 defeat. Will Lincoln Northeast have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.