Basketball Game Preview: Scottsbluff Bearcats vs. Ogallala Indians

The Scottsbluff Bearcats will venture away from home to square off against the Ogallala Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Scottsbluff is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 68.8 points per game this season.

Scottsbluff is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Crete, who was ranked 23rd at the time (Scottsbluff was ranked 15th). Scottsbluff took a 61-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of Crete last Saturday. The Bearcats' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

The losing side was boosted by Nate Kelley, who went 8 for 19 on his way to 17 points. He has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Tre Boswell, who posted eight points and nine rebounds.

Even though they lost, Scottsbluff smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Ogallala put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Valentine to the tune of 77-39. The Indians have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 27 points or more this season.

Ogallala's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.6 points per game. As for Scottsbluff, their loss ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 11-2.

Scottsbluff came up short against Ogallala in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 71-65. Can Scottsbluff avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.