Bellevue West is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Creighton Prep is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Bellevue West Thunderbirds will take on the Creighton Prep Junior Jays at TBD on Thursday. Bellevue West knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 14 matches -- so hopefully Creighton Prep likes a good challenge.
Even though Bryan scored an imposing 67 points on Saturday, Bellevue West still came out on top. Bellevue West walked away with a 74-67 victory over Bryan. Given Bellevue West's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked first, while Bryan is ranked 51st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Bellevue West's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Steven Poulicek, who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds. That's the first time this season that Poulicek pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jaden Jackson, who scored 12 points along with nine assists.
Meanwhile, Creighton Prep can now show off five landslide victories after their most recent contest on Saturday. They took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 66-26 victory over Buena Vista. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Creighton Prep has managed all season.
Dillon Claussen continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds. Claussen is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Trinell Parker, who scored 12 points.
Bellevue West's win bumped their record up to 13-1. As for Creighton Prep, their win bumped their record up to 11-2.
Thursday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Bellevue West have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 50.4% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Creighton Prep struggles in that department as they've drained 47.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Bellevue West against Creighton Prep in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the squad secured a 70-42 win. With Bellevue West ahead 36-14 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
