Basketball Recap: Alexis Rope's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Safford over Round Valley

After flying high against Palo Verde last Tuesday, Safford came back down to earth. The Safford Bulldogs lost 52-32 to the Round Valley Elks on Friday. The Bulldogs were probably out for revenge after losing 38-33 to them when the teams met back in January of 2023, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Safford's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alexis Rope, who posted ten points and seven rebounds. Rope is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last ten games she's played dating back to last season. Jazzlyn Mortensen also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.

Round Valley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kelci Walker, who had 19 points in addition to seven boards and five steals. That makes it five consecutive games in which Walker has scored at least a third of Round Valley's points. Another player making a difference was Carla Arreola, who earned 12 points along with seven assists and six rebounds.

Safford's defeat was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Round Valley, their record is now 12-9.

Safford didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 49-12 victory against Empire on the 20th. As for Round Valley, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 50-47 win against Hopi on the 21st.