Basketball Recap: Luis Alvarez's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Heartland over High Plains

Heartland was the 58-46 winner over High Plains when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Heartland Huskies took a hard 61-43 fall against the High Plains Storm on Tuesday. While the Huskies didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Storm 14-10 in the first quarter.

Several Huskies players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Luis Alvarez, who went 5 of 10 en route to 12 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Alvarez has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Thane Wetjen, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 boards.

Even though they lost, Heartland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.

Leading High Plains to victory were Brodey Spurling and Maddix Fuhrman. Spurling went 9 for 14 on his way to 25 points and five rebounds, while Fuhrman dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 boards. Fuhrman is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Carson Swedenburg was another key player, putting up nine points.

Heartland has been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last seven games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-10 record this season. As for High Plains, they pushed their record up to 11-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road.

Heartland will head out to take on Sandy Creek on Friday. Sandy Creek will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something Heartland surely won't give up without a fight. As for High Plains, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Elba at 7:30 p.m. on February 1st.