A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Cougars duke it out with the Cardinals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Sandy Creek's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last four matchups.
Last Tuesday, Sandy Creek made easy work of Amherst and carried off a 57-33 win. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 21 points or more this season.
Ethan Shaw
| 02/25/25 vs Amherst | 18 |
| 02/21/25 vs Parkview Christian | 27 |
| 02/14/25 @ Milford | 27 |
| 02/11/25 vs Fillmore Central | 25 |
| 02/08/25 vs Wilber-Clatonia | 22 |
| + 2 more games |
Wes Biltoft and Ethan Shaw were among the main playmakers for Sandy Creek as the former dropped a double-double with 13 points and 18 boards and the latter dropped a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The contest was Shaw's seventh in a row with at least 15 points. Kamerin Sealey was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to six boards and five assists.
Sandy Creek smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They are 8-3 when they hit their own glass that hard.
Meanwhile, Alma came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18 points), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Titans by a score of 45-37. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 82nd in Nebraska, while the Titans are ranked 205th in Nebraska), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sandy Creek better focus on containing Tucker Biskup and Zavier Mitchell as the pair were huge in Alma's win. Biskup went 7-for-15 to rack up 18 points and eight rebounds, while Mitchell dropped a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards. That's the most rebounds Biskup has posted since back in January. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Neal, who earned seven points and seven boards.
Alma pushed their record up to 22-2 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home. As for Sandy Creek, their record now sits at 14-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sandy Creek has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Alma struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sandy Creek couldn't quite finish off Alma when the teams last played back in February of 2019 and fell 50-47. Thankfully for Sandy Creek, Jackson McKenzie (who had 21 points along with five rebounds and four steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
