Preview: Cherryvale Chargers vs. Bluestem Lions
Cherryvale is 8-2 against Bluestem since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Cherryvale Chargers will head out on the road to face off against the Bluestem Lions at 7:30 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Kansas (Cherryvale is ranked 347th, while Bluestem is ranked 349th).
Cherryvale can finally bid farewell to their six-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They came out on top against Yates Center by a score of 48-41. The score was all tied up 23-23 at the break, but Cherryvale was the better team in the second half.
Cherryvale found their leader in underclassman Leuie Umbarger, who scored 19 points along with five steals. That's the first time this season that Umbarger scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Landon Fox, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Bluestem's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their eighth straight loss. They took a 63-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of Flinthills. Bluestem has not had much luck with Flinthills recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Cherryvale's win bumped their record up to 2-9. As for Bluestem, they dropped their record down to 1-10 with that loss, which was their 14th straight at home.
Everything came up roses for Cherryvale against Bluestem in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 as the team secured a 64-20 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cherryvale since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
