The Omaha North Vikings will venture away from home to take on the Papillion-LaVista South Titans at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Omaha North took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They breezed by Omaha Northwest to the tune of 63-19. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 33-9.
| 01/28/25 vs Omaha Northwest | 3 |
| 01/24/25 @ Lincoln North Star | 3 |
| 01/21/25 vs Omaha South | 2 |
| 01/17/25 vs Elkhorn South | 2 |
Omaha North got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jerri'On Williams out in front who posted nine points along with six boards and three steals. Williams is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Bobby Brown, who put up six points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals.
Omaha North smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Papillion-LaVista South entered their tilt with Omaha Central on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 61-49. Given the Titans' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked second, while the Eagles are ranked 72nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Omaha North better focus on containing Levi Webb and Reece Kircher as the pair were huge in Papillion-LaVista South's win. Webb went 6 for 13 on his way to 20 points and five boards, while Kircher almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. Grant Beckenhauer was another key player, putting up nine points.
Papillion-LaVista South's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-3. As for Omaha North, their record is now 5-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Omaha North has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Papillion-LaVista South struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Omaha North skirted past Papillion-LaVista South 61-58 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Omaha North since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
