Arapahoe and Hitchcock County are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2018, but not for long. The two teams will face off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday without much rest having both just played. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Arapahoe is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top against Wauneta-Palisade by a score of 60-47 on Friday.
| 12/13/24 vs Wauneta-Palisade | 2 |
| 12/10/24 vs Dundy County-Stratton | 2 |
| 12/07/24 vs Lawrence-Nelson | 3 |
Arapahoe got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Clara Hilker out in front who went 6 of 10 on her way to 16 points and six rebounds. Hilker has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Sawyer Shafer was another key player, going 5 for 8 on her way to 13 points and five assists.
Arapahoe smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Hitchcock County got the win against Medicine Valley on Friday by a conclusive 48-22. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Falcons have posted against the Raiders since December 19, 2019.
Hitchcock County's win came from a few key players Arapahoe will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Riley Hagan, who posted ten points and six steals. Those ten points gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Madysen Carlson, who went 5 of 9 on her way to 13 points and eight boards.
Arapahoe's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Hitchcock County, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Arapahoe has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 39.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hitchcock County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Arapahoe lost to Hitchcock County on the road by a decisive 51-36 margin when the teams last played back in February. Can Arapahoe avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
