For the first time this season, Wisner-Pilger will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will face off against the Pender Pendragons at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Wisner-Pilger has struggled recently with five defeats in a row, while Pender will arrive with four straight wins.
On Saturday, Wisner-Pilger had to suffer through a 61-30 loss at the hands of Logan View/Scribner-Snyder. While losing is never fun, the Gators can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 253rd, while Logan View/Scribner-Snyder are ranked 117th).
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Pender over Clarkson/Leigh in every quarter on their way to victory on Saturday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Pendragons blew the Patriots out of the water with a 61-18 final score. The Pendragons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.
Pender's win came from a few key players that Wisner-Pilger will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zander Welsh, who went 6-for-12 to rack up 18 points and six boards. Another player making a difference was Ryan Krueger, who posted 11 points and eight rebounds.
Pender smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive games.
Pender's record is now 12-3. As for Wisner-Pilger, their loss dropped their record down to 2-12.
Wisner-Pilger came up short against Pender when the teams last played back in January of 2025, falling 58-45. Can the Gators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
