Omaha Central hasn't had much luck against Bellevue West recently, but that could start to change on Friday. It'll be a Battle of the Birds when the Omaha Central Eagles challenge the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 7:15 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Bellevue West will be up against a hot Omaha Central team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Omaha Central strolled past Pius X with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 61-46.
Omaha Central relied on the efforts of Lenox Haynes, who went 9 for 19 en route to 26 points and five rebounds, and Evan Rodgers, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 14 points along with six boards and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Bj Newsome, who posted four points.
Omaha Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive matches.
Bellevue West's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Lincoln on Thursday. Bellevue West claimed a resounding 92-32 victory over Bryan. That 60 point margin sets a new team best for the Thunderbirds this season.
Omaha Central better keep an eye on Robert Garcia. He was instrumental in Bellevue West's win, dropping a double-double on 28 points and 11 boards. Garcia's evening made it seven games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Bryce Johnson Jr, who went 5 of 7 on his way to 15 points in addition to six assists and five rebounds.
Bellevue West's win bumped their record up to 8-4. As for Omaha Central, their victory bumped their record up to 7-5.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Omaha Central hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 58.8 points per game. However, it's not like Bellevue West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 76.2 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Omaha Central came up short against Bellevue West in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 62-54. Will Omaha Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
