Tuff Kelley commands the offense for a Cardinals win

By Team Reports Dec 18, 2023, 9:34am

Recap: McClave Cardinals vs. Springfield Longhorns

The McClave Cardinals scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They came out on top against Springfield by a score of 60-49. That result was just more of the same for these two, as McClave also won the last time the pair played back in January.

McClave's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tuff Kelley, who scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Kelley has scored at least 25% of McClave's points. Jr. Mungaray was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with six rebounds.

Colby Batterton and Colin Swanson certainly did their best on Thursday to try and avoid the loss. Batterton dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds, while Swanson scored 17 points along with five rebounds and three steals. The matchup was Batterton's fourth in a row with at least ten points.

Springfield struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

McClave now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Springfield, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.

McClave won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Holly at 8:30 p.m. on December 15th. Holly has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 243 points over their last four matchups. Springfield won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Granada at 1:30 a.m. on December 15th. Granada will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 276th, while Springfield is ranked 114th).