Basketball Recap: Doherty Falls Short of Valor Christian in the Playoffs

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Doherty can now relate to. They came up short against the Valor Christian Eagles on Wednesday, falling 74-52. If the Spartans were looking for revenge after losing 78-56 to the Eagles when the teams met back in February of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Doherty's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kaity Driskell, who posted ten points and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrey Smith, who had six points and 11 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Doherty smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valor Christian only six offensive boards.

It was another big night for Quinn VanSickle, who shot 58% from the field en route to 31 points along with seven assists and five boards for Valor Christian. That's the most points VanSickle has posted since back in March of 2024. Kate Fuessel was another key player, going 5-for-12 to rack up 13 points and four steals.

Doherty's loss dropped their record down to 18-7. As for Valor Christian, they pushed their record up to 23-2 with the win, which was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season.

Doherty does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Valor Christian, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Legend at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. Averaging 72.43 points so far this season, Valor Christian's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so Legend better be ready for a challenge.