The Gretna East Griffins will take on the Elkhorn Antlers at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Gretna East didn't have too much trouble with Grand Island as they won 59-44. Given the Griffins' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Islanders are ranked 141st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Gretna East relied on the efforts of Drew Rhoades, who went 9 for 12 en route to 19 points, and Drayke Brown, who went 6 of 11 on his way to 19 points along with six boards and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Talan Hovie, who posted six points and five assists.
They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Gretna East was working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Grand Island only racked up nine assists.
Meanwhile, Elkhorn came up short against Elkhorn North on Friday and fell 71-60.
Gretna East will have to contain Nixon Farmer as he made an impact in Elkhorn's last game. He scored 17 points and five assists. Jake Petersen was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds.
Elkhorn has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.3 points per game. As for Gretna East, they pushed their record up to 8-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's matchup: Gretna East has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 38.1% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Elkhorn, though, as they've only made 28.2% of their three-pointers this season. Given Gretna East's sizable advantage in that area, Elkhorn will need to find a way to close that gap.
Gretna East beat Elkhorn 54-44 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gretna East since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
