Basketball Recap: Ryhan Balous Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Walnut Grove

McKinney North lost to Walnut Grove on January 3rd, but they didn't allow them the same satisfaction on Tuesday. The McKinney North Bulldogs skirted past the Walnut Grove Wildcats 32-30. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bulldogs have posted since December 27, 2024.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead McKinney North to victory, but perhaps none more so than Ryhan Balous, who went 5 for 12 en route to 14 points and three steals. Balous has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Tiyana Alexander was another key player, putting up six points and eight boards.

McKinney North's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-15. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.8 points per game. As for Walnut Grove, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 23-8.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. McKinney North has already played their next match (against Melissa), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Walnut Grove will take on Anna at 5:45 p.m. on Friday. Anna is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56 points per game this season.