The Red Cloud Warriors will face off against the Deshler Dragons at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Deshler took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Red Cloud, who comes in off a win.
On Tuesday, Red Cloud was able to grind out a solid win over Kenesaw, taking the game 54-43. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Red Cloud's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Aiva Rust led the charge by putting up 17 points. Kayla Faimon was another key player, earning 14 points.
Meanwhile, Deshler was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 40-38 heartbreaker at the hands of Nebraska Lutheran. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Dragons have suffered since January 10th.
Red Cloud will need to focus on slowing down Teagan Webber, one of several Deshler players who made an impact when they last played. She posted 12 points and six steals. Another player making a difference was Lainey Vieselmeyer, who put up six points.
Red Cloud's win bumped their record up to 16-3. As for Deshler, their loss dropped their record down to 6-13.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's game: Red Cloud has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 8.2 threes per game. It's a different story for Deshler, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 three-pointers. Given Red Cloud's sizable advantage in that area, the Dragons will need to find a way to close that gap.
Red Cloud strolled past Deshler when the teams last played back in February of 2025 by a score of 68-49. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Dragons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
