Basketball Recap: Denver West Takes a Loss

After flying high against DSST: College View last Wednesday, Denver West came back down to earth. The Denver West Cowboys had to suffer through a 62-35 loss at the hands of the Kennedy Commanders. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Cowboys have suffered against the Commanders since February 1, 2018.

Shukri Hussein

Rebounds

02/14/25 vs Kennedy	10
02/12/25 vs DSST: College View	11
02/07/25 vs DSST: Green Valley Ranch	9
02/06/25 vs DSST: Conservatory Green	11
02/04/25 vs Bruce Randolph	15
+ 9 more games

Denver West lost on Friday despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Shukri Hussein, who posted seven points and ten rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last 14 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Heaven Martinez, who had five points and 12 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Denver West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive boards in 16 consecutive games.

Kennedy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Keana Venegas-Alvarez, who almost dropped a double-double with 13 points and nine assists. Venegas-Alvarez also grabbed five steals, which is notable because Kennedy is 12-1 when she posts at least five steals, but 3-4 otherwise. Morgan Williams was another key player, dropping a double-double with 15 points and 14 boards.

Denver West's record now sits at 12-8. As for Kennedy, they have been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season.

Looking ahead, Denver West will take on Regis Groff in a tournament on Tuesday. As for Kennedy, they will head out on the road to challenge Denver East at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Denver East will roll in looking for their fourth straight win, something Kennedy surely won't give up without a fight.