Basketball Recap: Groton Takes a Loss

It was a proper cat-fight when Groton faced off against Dakota Valley on Saturday. The Groton Tigers fell to the Dakota Valley Panthers 70-64. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Panthers apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

It was another big night for Luke Bruns, who went 12 for 27 on his way to 33 points and eight rebounds for Dakota Valley. That makes it three consecutive games in which Bruns has scored at least a third of Dakota Valley's points. Another player making a difference was Drew Lukken, who went 5 of 6 en route to 11 points and five boards.

Groton has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.3 points per game. As for Dakota Valley, their win bumped their record up to 8-2.

Groton will take on Milbank at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Dakota Valley, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Tri-Valley at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.