The Howells-Dodge Boys fell 54-46 at Bancroft-Rosalie last Tuesday night before losing 59-50 at home to North Bend Central last Thursday night.
The Panthers led the Jaguars 13-11 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge won the second quarter 15-13 to tie the game at 26 at halftime.
The Jaguars outscored Bancroft-Rosalie 12-10 in the third quarter to lead 38-36 at the end of three.
The Panthers notched 18 fourth quarter points compared to 8 for Howells-Dodge.
Tyler Polacek had 17 points and 12 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Luke Renter added 10 points while Connor Blum totaled 8. Nolan Lund notched 11 rebounds while Mitchell Prusa had 7.
The Tigers led the Jaguars 20-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Jaguars outscored North Bend Central 15-8 in the second quarter to make it a 28-24 game at halftime.
The Tigers won the third quarter 15-12 to lead 43-36 at the end of three.
North Bend Central put up 16 fourth quarter points compare to 14 for Howells-Dodge.
Tyler Polacek led the way with 21 points. Connor Blum totaled 17 while Mitchell Prusa registered 8 rebounds.
Head Coach Cole Fischer says he was pleased with his team's performance . "I am very proud of the boys' effort. We hit a dry spell early in fourth quarter, but kept battling against one of the top teams in the conference."
The Jaguars (8-14) square off with Lutheran High Northeast (12-6) on the road Friday night to end the regular season.
The Eagles lost 57-47 at home to Hartington Cedar Catholic on Saturday.
Howells-Dodge is due for a win as the Jaguars have lost four in a row and five out of their last six.
For the most part, Howells-Dodge has played respectable basketball lately, but the Jaguars have been unable to win the close game.
It has to be frustrating for Howells-Dodge knowing they've been so close.
With that said, the Jaguars can't get discouraged. Howells-Dodge has to keep playing with a positive attitude and keep themselves upbeat.
I think a win Friday night could give this team the boost they need heading into the postseason.
This is going to be a tough game for the Jaguars, but next week's sub district game against Osceola isn't going to be much easier so Howells-Dodge needs to play well to prepare themselves for the postseason.
I have faith that the Jaguars can get things turned around before the end of the season.
It's not going to be easy as this time of year is always tough, but if Howells-Dodge plays at a high level Friday night, I think you could see it carry over into Tuesday night's game.
It won't be the worst thing if the Jaguars lose a close game, but I'm sure Howells-Dodge is sick and tired of coming up short.
I really think the Jaguars need to beat Lutheran High Northeast to have a legitimate chance to beat the Bulldogs.
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