Basketball Recap: Florence Comes Up Short

Florence lost against Valley Christian two weeks ago and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Thursday. The Florence Gophers were beaten by the Valley Christian Trojans 76-41. While losing is never fun, the Gophers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 64th, while the Trojans are ranked 13th).

Logan Stenson

Rebounds

02/06/25 vs Valley Christian	10
02/04/25 @ Coolidge	10
02/01/25 @ ALA - West Foothills	10
01/31/25 vs Apache Junction	12
01/29/25 vs Seton Catholic	15
+ 3 more games

When it comes to explaining why Florence lost, don't look at Logan Stenson. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. Stenson is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down ten or more in the last eight games he's played. Another player making a difference was Adrian Taufaasau, who posted two points and 12 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Florence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive games.

Carson Grier was his usual excellent self, dropping a triple-double on 19 points, 15 boards, and 11 assists for Valley Christian. Colby Jessup was another key player, dropping a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds.

Florence's defeat dropped their record down to 23-3. As for Valley Christian, their victory was their 22nd straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 22-3.

Looking ahead, Florence will head out to square off against North Valley Christian Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Valley Christian Academy will roll in looking for their 15th straight win, something Florence surely won't give up without a fight. As for Valley Christian, they will host Coolidge at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Valley Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 25 matches -- so hopefully Coolidge likes a good challenge.