The North Platte Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Scottsbluff Bearcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully North Platte focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 13 on Friday.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, North Platte beat the Tigers 58-53.
Jesse Mauch was his usual excellent self, going 7 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 35 points and 1 assist. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Landon O'brien, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, Scottsbluff faced the Red Raiders in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Scottsbluff took a 58-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Red Raiders on Saturday. Scottsbluff's defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Despite the defeat, Scottsbluff saw an underclassman step up: Nate Kelley scored 19 points. Kelley hasn't dropped below 15 points for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Keon Delgado, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds and three blocks.
North Platte's win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 5-9. As for Scottsbluff, their loss dropped their record down to 15-5.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: North Platte have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 43.5% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Scottsbluff struggles in that department as they've made 44.4% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
North Platte barely slipped by the Bearcats in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, winning 55-54. Does North Platte have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bearcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
