The Norfolk Panthers will play host again and welcome the Kearney Bearcats, where tip off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on Friday.
Norfolk suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Tuesday. They took a serious blow against Pius X, falling 72-30. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Norfolk has scored all season.
Despite their loss, Norfolk saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Chase Swanson, who scored eight points, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Taivien Winsley, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Kearney had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 74-58 win over Lincoln East. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Ben Johnson continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 23 points and 15 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last six times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Webber, who scored 22 points.
Norfolk's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 4-7. As for Kearney, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Norfolk ended up a good deal behind Kearney in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, losing 55-36. Will Norfolk have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
