The Arcadia/Loup City Rebels will head out on the road to square off against the Centura Centurions at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Arcadia/Loup City's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They took a serious blow against Ansley/Litchfield, falling 50-23. While losing is never fun, Arcadia/Loup City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 205th, while Ansley/Litchfield is ranked 45th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Eli Jaixen, who scored nine points. Another player making a difference was Max Lewandowski, who scored five points along with nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Centura's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They suffered a tough 56-34 loss at the hands of Boone Central. Centura has struggled against Boone Central recently, as their contest on Tuesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Like Arcadia/Loup City, Centura lost despite seeing results from several players. Cayden Anderson led the charge by scoring 13 points along with two steals. It was the first time this season that Anderson grabbed two or more steals. Barrett Fries was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two blocks.
Arcadia/Loup City has not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season. As for Centura, their loss dropped their record down to 4-16.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Arcadia/Loup City have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Centura struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Arcadia/Loup City came up short against Centura in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 49-37. Thankfully for Arcadia/Loup City, Carter Noakes (who scored 15 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
