The Cheylin Cougars will challenge the Northern Valley Huskies at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Cheylin saw some tournament action on Tuesday. They fell 54-45 to Wheatland-Grinnell. While the Cougars didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Thunderhawks 17-10 in the first quarter.
Landon Schoenberger
| 02/04/25 vs Wheatland-Grinnell | 4 |
| 01/28/25 @ Weskan | 2 |
| 01/24/25 vs Triplains/Brewster | 2 |
| 01/21/25 vs Hi-Plains | 3 |
| 01/17/25 @ Western Plains | 3 |
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Landon Schoenberger, who posted 15 points in addition to five assists and four steals. He is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Kohen Pochop was another key player, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 13 boards.
Meanwhile, Northern Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Western Plains on Friday, taking the game 48-40.
Cheylin better keep an eye on Gavin Thalheim. He was instrumental in Northern Valley's win, going 9 for 17 en route to 23 points along with six rebounds and six steals. Thalheim is becoming a predictor of Northern Valley's success: when he posts at least five steals the team is 3-1 (and 2-11 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Owen Hammond, who had seven points in addition to 14 boards and three steals.
Northern Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.
Northern Valley's win bumped their record up to 5-12. As for Cheylin, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cheylin has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Northern Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cheylin took their victory against Northern Valley in their previous matchup back in January by a conclusive 65-40. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hammond, who went 8 of 20 on his way to 25 points along with seven rebounds and five steals. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Cheylin still be able to contain Hammond? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
