Basketball Game Preview: Howells-Dodge Jaguars vs. Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars

Howells-Dodge is 6-0 against Lyons-Decatur Northeast since December of 2014 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Howells-Dodge Jaguars challenge the Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Howells-Dodge can't be too worried about heading out to take on Lyons-Decatur Northeast: they just beat Pender at home, who had been dominant on their own court up to that point. Howells-Dodge walked away with a 52-40 win over Pender on Monday. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Jaguars' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 71st, while the Pendragons are ranked 11th).

Jordyn Ratzlaff was nothing short of spectacular: she went 8 for 18 on her way to 21 points and three steals. That's the most points she has posted since back in December of 2023. Kylie Brichacek was another key player, putting up ten points and seven boards.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Lyons-Decatur Northeast ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Madison, sneaking past 35-33. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since December 5, 2023.

Howells-Dodge is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.3 points per game. As for Lyons-Decatur Northeast, their record now sits at 8-10.

Everything came up roses for Howells-Dodge against Lyons-Decatur Northeast when the teams last played back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 58-18 victory. In that contest, Howells-Dodge amassed a halftime lead of 32-8, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.