After two games on the road, North Central is heading back home. They will take on the Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
North Central struggled with three-point shooting accuracy on Tuesday (the Falcons were 24% better) and sadly the final score reflected it. North Central fell 59-48 to the Falcons. While losing is never fun, North Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 203rd, while the Falcons are ranked 48th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Zak Swanson, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and three steals. He hasn't dropped below two steals for seven straight games. Kol Otten was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Meanwhile, this season hasn't been kind to Niobrara/Verdigre, who are still winless after their 15th match. They were outmatched by Elkhorn Valley on the road and fell 52-11. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Niobrara/Verdigre has scored all season.
North Central's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, their loss was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-15.
Everything came up roses for North Central against the Cougars in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 68-30 victory. With North Central ahead 52-10 at the half, the match was all but over already.
