On Friday, Howells-Dodge beat Fort Calhoun 51-43.
Howells-Dodge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jade Bayer, who scored 16 points along with three steals. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Natalie Pieper, who scored two points along with six blocks and five rebounds.
Despite the defeat, Fort Calhoun saw an underclassman step up: Ansley Elofson scored 14 points along with seven rebounds. The game was Elofson's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bria Bench, who scored six points along with five rebounds.
Howells-Dodge has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-4 record this season. As for Fort Calhoun, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.
Howells-Dodge won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Centura at 2:00 p.m. on December 30, 2023. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nebraska (Centura is ranked 74th, while Howells-Dodge is ranked 84th). Fort Calhoun will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against Sandy Creek at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Sandy Creek is out to stop a three-game streak of losses at home.
