The Amherst Broncos will square off against the Broken Bow Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Amherst will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
Amherst is returning to their home court after beating Elm Creek on theirs, despite the fact Elm Creek has dominated at home this season. Amherst came out on top against Elm Creek by a score of 61-50 on Thursday.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Amherst to victory, but perhaps none more so than Braylon Russell, who dropped a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Gavin Davis, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards.
Meanwhile, Broken Bow played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 66-43 to Cozad. While losing is never fun, the Indians can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 146th, while the Haymakers are ranked 23rd).
Despite the loss, Broken Bow saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Zachary Jackson posted 12 points and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Drew Ellis, who put up five points.
Amherst's win was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points over those games. As for Broken Bow, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 7-14 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Amherst has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Broken Bow struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Amherst against Broken Bow in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 73-37 victory. Will Amherst repeat their success, or does Broken Bow have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
