The Millard West Wildcats had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 69-56 victory over Lincoln High on Saturday. Given Millard West's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 88th, while the Links are ranked 208th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Millard West to victory were Carter LaBorde and Cooper Fortune. LaBorde scored 18 points along with seven rebounds, while Fortune almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time this season that Fortune pulled down eight or more rebounds. Trey Abara was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Despite the defeat, Lincoln High saw an underclassman step up: Brady Nick scored 23 points. Another player making a difference was Jairik Gilmore, who scored eight points.
Millard West now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Lincoln High, they have been struggling recently as they've lost nine of their last ten games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-13 record this season.
Millard West will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bulldogs at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Burke focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 21 on Friday. As for Lincoln High, they will head out on the road to challenge the Chieftains at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Bellevue East is out to stop a four-game streak of losses at home.
