Basketball Recap: Whittell Comes Up Short

Whittell was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a blow against the Smith Valley Bulldogs, falling 71-23. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nevada basketball rankings (they are ranked 91st, while the Bulldogs are ranked 27th).

When it comes to explaining why Whittell lost, don't look at Rocky Laremore. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 17 points and 13 rebounds. Laremore has been hot for a while, having also posted three or more steals the last nine times he's played. Another player making a difference was Zachary Claypatch, who posted six points.

Whittell's loss dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Smith Valley, the victory was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-1.

Whittell will host Excel Christian at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Smith Valley, they will head out on the road to challenge Mineral County at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing isn't great for Mineral County: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while Smith Valley has snatched up five consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.