Basketball Recap: Olathe Northwest Comes Up Short in High-Profile Match with Shawnee Mission Northwest

On Tuesday, Olathe Northwest faced Shawnee Mission Northwest in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Olathe Northwest Ravens fell just short of the Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars by a score of 54-51. The Ravens were up 33-19 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Olathe Northwest's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Gavin Popik, who went 9 of 14 en route to 19 points and six assists, and Jj Lee, who went 6 for 12 on his way to 13 points in addition to five rebounds and four blocks. Popik's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Nick Waters, who posted eight points.

The defeat snapped Olathe Northwest's winning streak at six games and leaves them with a 6-1 record. As for Shawnee Mission Northwest, the victory (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 6-1.

Olathe Northwest has already played their next matchup, a 70-52 loss against Olathe West on the 17th. As for Shawnee Mission Northwest, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, an 86-65 win against Shawnee Mission East on the 17th.