The New England Tigers will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Harding County Ranchers at 5:30 p.m. New England will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in their respective state's rankings (they are ranked 76th in North Dakota, while Harding County is ranked 15th in South Dakota).
Last Saturday, New England was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 49-43 to New Salem.
Meanwhile, Harding County put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Timber Lake 56-22 on the road. Harding County has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 22 points or more this season.
It was another big night for Jaelyn Wendt, who scored eight points along with 11 rebounds and seven steals. She hasn't dropped below two blocks for six straight games. Another player making a difference was Claire Verhulst, who scored 11 points along with three steals.
New England's defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Harding County, their win bumped their record up to 10-0.
New England came up short against Harding County in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 48-38. Will New England 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.
