Hodgeman County has won ten straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Bucklin has won ten straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Hodgeman County Longhorns will welcome the Bucklin Red Aces at 6:30 p.m. Both are at an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2015, but likely not for long.
Hodgeman County picked up another tournament win on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Meade, sneaking past 38-35.
Hodgeman County's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ashlynn Beil led the charge by putting up seven points and six boards. Aidan Lonnberg was another key player, scoring seven points.
Meanwhile, Bucklin didn't have too much trouble with Ashland on Monday as they won 45-30.
Bucklin's win came from a few key players Hodgeman County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Emmy Kirk, who posted ten points in addition to five assists and four steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Karlee Evans, who put up 14 points.
Bucklin was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ashland only racked up five assists.
Bucklin's victory bumped their record up to 9-3. As for Hodgeman County, they have also been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hodgeman County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bucklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hodgeman County couldn't quite finish off Bucklin in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 and fell 49-46. Can Hodgeman County avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
