Macksville is 1-6 against Bucklin since February of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Macksville Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Bucklin Red Aces at 4:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
In what's become a running theme this season, Macksville gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. They blew past Kinsley 53-19 at home. Given Macksville's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 114th, while Kinsley is ranked 259th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Macksville's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mayce Russell, who scored 14 points along with seven assists and six steals. Russell hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Sanders, who scored eight points along with nine rebounds.
Even though Bucklin has not done well against Spearville recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Bucklin enjoyed a cozy 41-27 victory over Spearville. The victory was nothing new for Bucklin as they're now sitting on four straight.
Bucklin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Emmerson Kirk led the charge by scoring 18 points. Kirk continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last four games she's played. Sydnie Jones was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with four blocks.
The victory (which was Macksville's third in a row) raised their record to 10-5. As for Bucklin, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-3.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Macksville have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bucklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Macksville ended up a good deal behind Bucklin in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, losing 51-32. Can Macksville avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
