The Johnson County Central Thunderbirds will take on the Pender Pendragons on Friday.
Johnson County Central is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Aquinas just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 61-39 to the Monarchs.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Pender had no trouble coming through when it counted. They strolled past West Holt with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 51-35. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Pendragons' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Huskies are ranked 68th).
Pender's win came from a few key players that Johnson County Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Myra Hansen, who shot 50% from the field en route to 14 points and seven boards. Another player making a difference was Madalyn Dolliver, who posted 14 points and seven rebounds.
Pender smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive games.
Pender pushed their record up to 24-2 with the win, which was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.6 points over those games. As for Johnson County Central, their loss dropped their record down to 18-6.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
