Basketball Recap: Mckenna Fine's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Tulelake over Butte Valley

If Tulelake was riding high fresh off their 67-28 takedown of Dunsmuir last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Tulelake Honkers came up short against the Butte Valley Bulldogs on Friday, falling 63-42. The Honkers were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Bulldogs earlier this season, when they won 54-40.

Several Honkers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was McKenna Fine, who posted 13 points and five steals. Another player making a difference was Alejandra Perez, who put up seven points in addition to nine boards and five blocks.

Even though they lost, Tulelake smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matches.

Butte Valley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kohen Thomas, who went 6 of 10 to rack up 18 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. That's the most points Thomas has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Morgan Anderson, who went 9 for 21 en route to 21 points and six boards.

Tulelake's loss dropped their record down to 11-11. As for Butte Valley, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-6.

Coming up, Tulelake will host Big Valley at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Butte Valley has already played their next contest (against Hayfork), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.