Basketball Game Preview: Aurora Huskies vs. Waverly Vikings

Aurora hasn't had much luck against Waverly recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Aurora Huskies will look to defend their home court against the Waverly Vikings at 6:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Tuesday, Aurora came up short against Grand Island Central Catholic and fell 47-40.

Despite their loss, Aurora saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kenna Merrihew, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Merrihew is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last five games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Staehr, who posted 11 points and six rebounds.

Waverly has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 51-49 heartbreaker at the hands of Bishop Neumann. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Vikings came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Cavaliers are ranked 52nd).

Defeat or not, Waverly got some senior leadership from Parker Christiansen and Annie Harms. Christiansen scored 19 points, while Harms had 18 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Harms has scored all season.

Waverly's loss dropped their record down to 13-3. As for Aurora, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-10.

Aurora was dealt a bruising 65-33 loss at the hands of Waverly in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Harms, who earned 21 points. Now that Aurora knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.