Basketball Recap: Thunder Nelson's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Bertrand over Arcadia/Loup City

Bertrand was the 46-41 winner over Arcadia/Loup City when they last played one another back in December of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Bertrand Vikings took a 59-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Arcadia/Loup City Rebels. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Several Vikings players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Thunder Nelson, who went 10 of 25 en route to 25 points along with six boards and three steals. Those 25 points gave Nelson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Eric Wood, who went 5 of 6 on his way to 13 points.

Even though they lost, Bertrand was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Leading Arcadia/Loup City to victory were Eli Jaixen and Max Lewandowski. Jaixen went 6 of 14 on his way to 17 points along with six boards and five assists, while Lewandowski went 10 of 13 on his way to 21 points and eight rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which Lewandowski has scored at least a third of Arcadia/Loup City's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brogan Setlik, who posted six points.

Bertrand's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Arcadia/Loup City, with the victory, they broke their four-game losing streak and moved their record to 4-5.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Bertrand will host Wauneta-Palisade at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Arcadia/Loup City, they will face off against Wood River at 7:00 p.m. on January 9th.