The Centura Centurions will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Arcadia/Loup City Rebels at 7:45 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses apiece.
Last Tuesday, Centura was the victim of a rough 56-34 defeat at the hands of Boone Central. While losing is never fun, Centura can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 184th, while Boone Central is ranked 39th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Cayden Anderson, who scored 13 points along with two steals. It was the first time this season that he grabbed two or more steals. Barrett Fries was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two blocks.
Meanwhile, Arcadia/Loup City took a serious blow against Ansley/Litchfield on Tuesday, falling 50-23.
Like Arcadia/Loup City, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Eli Jaixen led the charge by scoring nine points. The team also got some help courtesy of Max Lewandowski, who scored five points along with nine rebounds.
Centura's loss dropped their record down to 4-16. As for Arcadia/Loup City, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Centura have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Arcadia/Loup City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Centura beat Arcadia/Loup City 49-37 when the teams last played back in February of 2023. Does Centura have another victory up their sleeve, or will Arcadia/Loup City turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
