Basketball Recap: Arickaree Takes a Tough Playoff Loss

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Arickaree can now relate to. They took a 51-43 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Otis Bulldogs on Saturday. The Bison haven't had much luck with the Bulldogs recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Arickaree's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dillon Noletubby, who posted nine points and three steals. Jackson Cordell also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assists of the season.

Otis was led to victory by Grady Bechtle and Charlie Kendrick. Bechtle dropped a double-double with 21 points and 14 boards, while Kendrick dropped a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Kendrick continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Mitchell Stivers was another key player, putting up six points.

Arickaree's defeat dropped their record down to 15-10. As for Otis, the win (which was their 19th in a row) raised their record to 21-2.

Arickaree does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Otis, they have already played their next matchup, a 53-34 loss against Flatirons Academy on the 13th.