The Elkhorn South Storm will head out on the road to face off against the Lincoln North Star Navigators at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Elkhorn South's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last eight contests.
Elkhorn South was handed a heart-breaking three-point loss in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Burke on Friday. Elkhorn South was the clear victor by an 83-57 margin over Burke. The Storm haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Cooper Mroczek continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 32 points and 11 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Lincoln Schwarz, who went 5 of 9 en route to 15 points in addition to eight boards and six assists.
Elkhorn South smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Lincoln North Star faced Bellevue West in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The contest between Lincoln North Star and Bellevue West didn't end well, with Lincoln North Star falling 67-52.
Despite the defeat, Lincoln North Star saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Jordan Castor went 7 for 17 on his way to 19 points and six assists. Castor's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least 19 points. J'Shawn Afuh was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Lincoln North Star's loss dropped their record down to 16-5. As for Elkhorn South, their win bumped their record up to 6-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elkhorn South has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lincoln North Star struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Elkhorn South was able to grind out a solid victory over Lincoln North Star in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, winning 64-56. The rematch might be a little tougher for Elkhorn South since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
