Basketball Recap: Central Plains Comes Up Short

Central Plains has relied on a stalwart defense averaging 29.33 points allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Tuesday. They fell to the Ellinwood Eagles 57-51. The Oilers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Eagles apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Ellinwood got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Julia Schlessiger out in front who dropped a double-double with 11 points and ten boards. The dominant performance also gave Schlessiger a new career-high in assists (four). Ayla Ritchie was another key player, putting up seven points and eight rebounds.

Central Plains' defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 4-1-1 and their overall record down to 11-3-1. As for Ellinwood, their win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2.

Looking ahead, Central Plains will look to defend their home court on Friday against LaCrosse at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Central Plains: 29.3, LaCrosse: 29.9) so any points scored will be well earned. Ellinwood has already played their next match (against Lyons), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.