The Boyd County Spartans will head out on the road to take on the Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Boyd County will be strutting in after a win while Niobrara/Verdigre will be coming in after a loss.
On Tuesday, Boyd County didn't have too much breathing room in their game against St. Mary's, but they still walked away with a 50-44 victory. The win was all the more spectacular given Boyd County's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 209th, while St. Mary's is ranked 78th).
Derris Hansen was his usual excellent self, scoring 22 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. He hasn't dropped below 16 points for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Hudson Hoffman, who scored nine points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, sadly, Niobrara/Verdigre is still looking for their first win of the season after 17 games. They took a serious blow against West Holt on Tuesday, falling 60-23. Niobrara/Verdigre was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 40-6.
Boyd County's win bumped their record up to 7-10. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, their loss was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-17.
Everything came up roses for Boyd County against Niobrara/Verdigre in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 71-42 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Boyd County since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
