Basketball Recap: Mason Ivey's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Nederland over Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado

Nederland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 45-39 heartbreaker at the hands of the Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado Archers. Sadly, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 42-40 last Friday.

Several Panthers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Mason Ivey, who posted 15 points. The dominant performance gave Ivey a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Drew Hertzfeld, who earned ten points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Nederland was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado only posted three assists.

Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jacob Cook, who had two points and 14 rebounds. With that strong performance, Cook is now averaging an impressive 8.2 boards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Candelaria, who posted 13 points.

Nederland's defeat dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. After both having extra time off, Nederland and Twin Peaks Classical Academy will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on January 8, 2025. As for Ascent Classical Academy Northern Colorado, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Poudre Community Academy at 6:30 p.m. on January 7, 2025.