The Platteview Trojans waltzed into their game Friday with four straight wins but they left with five. They enjoyed a cozy 62-45 victory over Holdrege. Given Platteview's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while Holdrege is ranked 96th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Platteview was led to victory by Braden Staudt and Elijah Steele. Staudt scored 11 points along with five assists and five rebounds, while Steele scored 20 points along with five rebounds. Those five assists set a new season-high mark for him. Jaxon Adams was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
When it comes to explaining why Holdrege lost, one person who can't be blamed is Garret Johnson. Despite the final result, he scored 21 points along with five rebounds. Johnson scored a full 46.7% of Holdrege's points, the ninth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Baron Medina, who scored seven points.
Platteview's victory bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Holdrege, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-6.
Platteview won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Lincoln Lutheran at 2:30 p.m. on December 30, 2023. Lincoln Lutheran is on a five-game streak of home wins, Platteview a five-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season)-- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court. Holdrege won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Arlington at 11:30 a.m. on December 30, 2023. Arlington is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 58.4 points per game.
