Basketball Recap: Ella Fote and Jordan Clouse Secure Win for Paxton

Paxton hadn't done well against Wauneta-Palisade recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Paxton Tigers enjoyed a cozy 53-39 win over the Wauneta-Palisade Broncos. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Tigers also won the last time the pair played back in January of 2024.

Paxton was led to victory by Jordan Clouse and Ella Fote. Clouse went 5 for 11 en route to 17 points, while Fote dropped a double-double on 14 points and 13 boards. Those 17 points gave Clouse a new career-high.

Paxton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive games.

Wauneta-Palisade's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Izzy Stehno, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds. Kamryn Fanning was another key player, going 5 of 12 on her way to 13 points and three steals.

Paxton is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points per game. As for Wauneta-Palisade, they have been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.

Paxton will be taking part in a tournament against Dundy County-Stratton at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Dundy County-Stratton has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games. As for Wauneta-Palisade, they will take on Wallace in a tournament on Monday. Wauneta-Palisade is facing Wallace at the right time seeing as Wallace is stuck on a four-game losing streak.