Bayard has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Nebraska (Bayard is ranked 57th, while Niobrara/Verdigre is ranked 64th).
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 19 to 3 on the offensive boards, a fact Bayard proved on Thursday. They took down Perkins County 54-36.
Bayard's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Aleah Nesbitt led the charge by scoring eight points along with nine rebounds and two steals. It was the first time this season that Nesbitt pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Joslyn Shay hopkins, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Niobrara/Verdigre waltzed into their contest on Thursday with four straight wins but they left with five. They pulled ahead with a 52-51 photo finish over Ainsworth.
Josilyn Miller continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a double-double on 39 points and nine steals. Miller is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Eve Kucera, who scored a point along with ten rebounds.
Bayard's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-3. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, they are on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 18 games, which provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Bayard have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Niobrara/Verdigre struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
