Basketball Recap: Pioneer Falls Short of Tri-County in the Playoffs

Pioneer and Tri-County squared off in some playoff action on Monday, but Pioneer had to settle for second. They lost 53-27 to the Tri-County Cavaliers. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 228th, while the Cavaliers are ranked 67th).

When it comes to explaining why Pioneer lost, don't look at Makenna Strycker. Despite the final result, she went 6-for-12 en route to 20 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals. That was a full 74.1% of Pioneer's points, marking the 11th time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points.

Sara Zarse was her usual excellent self, going 10-for-13 to rack up 25 points along with six boards and four blocks for Tri-County. What's more, Zarse also posted a 75% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Hannah Arvin, who put up 11 points.

Pioneer has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight matchups, which has put a noticeable dent in their 12-13 record this season. As for Tri-County, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 22-2.

Pioneer does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Tri-County, they will square off against Marquette Catholic at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Marquette Catholic will roll in looking for their tenth straight win, something Tri-County surely won't give up without a fight.