Basketball Recap: Caleb Noble-Heit's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Ellis over Smith Center

Ellis was the 56-48 winner over Smith Center when they last played one another back in January of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Ellis Railroaders took a 57-45 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Smith Center Redmen on Friday. The Railroaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Ellis lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Caleb Noble-Heit, who almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaren Frickey, who went 5 of 12 on his way to 17 points.

Smith Center's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mason Enochs, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 12 boards. Enochs is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Daveyon Orr, who went 5 of 8 on his way to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Ellis now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Smith Center, they pushed their record up to 3-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season.

Ellis will face off against LaCrosse at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Smith Center, they will challenge Russell at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.