McCool Junction has been on the road for four straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Nebraska Lutheran Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
McCool Junction scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past East Butler 71-29 on the road. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 48-17.
Ryland Garretson was his usual excellent self, almost dropping a double-double on 24 points and nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Mapieu Kouchinin was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Nebraska Lutheran came into Thursday's game having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They claimed a resounding 68-32 victory over Dorchester on the road. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Nebraska Lutheran has managed all season.
Nebraska Lutheran relied on the efforts of Lukas Worster, who scored 13 points along with five steals, and Eli Vogt, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten steals. Another player making a difference was Silas Vogel, who scored ten points.
McCool Junction pushed their record up to 12-3 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.4 points per game. As for Nebraska Lutheran, their win bumped their record up to 10-5.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: McCool Junction have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 46.9% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Nebraska Lutheran struggles in that department as they've made 38.8% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
McCool Junction was able to grind out a solid victory over the Knights in their previous meeting on Friday, winning 40-28. Does McCool Junction have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
