Basketball Game Preview: Newman Grove/St. Edward Panthers vs. High Plains Storm

The Newman Grove/St. Edward Panthers will challenge the High Plains Storm at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Last Thursday, Newman Grove/St. Edward was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 51-45 to Twin River.

Despite the defeat, Newman Grove/St. Edward got top-tier performance from Anthony Reader, who went 9 for 18 on his way to 24 points and six rebounds. The contest was Reader's fifth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Marcos Paez, who posted eight points and eight rebounds.

Even though they lost, Newman Grove/St. Edward smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in ten consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, High Plains made easy work of Hampton on Thursday and carried off a 66-40 win. The Storm have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 25 points or more this season.

High Plains is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.5 points per game. As for Newman Grove/St. Edward, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.