Basketball Recap: Sandhills Valley Starts off Right with Win over Anselmo-Merna

Sandhills Valley had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They walked away with a 49-39 victory over the Anselmo-Merna Coyotes on Friday. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Mavericks also won the last time the pair played back in December of 2023.

Sandhills Valley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Isaac Goosey, who went 6 for 14 on his way to 17 points and five rebounds. Those 17 points gave Goosey a new career-high. Kyle Kramer was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 11 boards.

Anselmo-Merna lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Dane Duryea, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Russell, who posted five points and five rebounds.

Anselmo-Merna dropped their record down to 0-2 with the loss, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.

Sandhills Valley wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 40-35 victory against Sumner-Eddyville-Miller on the 9th. As for Anselmo-Merna, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 50-36 defeat against Arcadia/Loup City on the 10th.