Basketball Recap: Elam Etsitty's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Whitehorse over Bryce Valley

Whitehorse had lost four straight at home dating back to last season, but on Saturday they dropped down to 3-4 to make it five. They received a blow as they fell 71-55 to the Bryce Valley Mustangs. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 111th, while the Mustangs are ranked 35th).

Whitehorse's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elam Etsitty, who posted 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Hyatt Thomas, who earned 12 points.

As for Bryce Valley, the win (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 6-1. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.0 points over those games.

Bryce Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Gerardo Lopez led the charge by dropping a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. The dominant performance also gave Lopez a new career-high in steals (five). Antonio Moreno was another key player, going 7-for-9 to rack up 14 points and eight rebounds.

Whitehorse will take on Mount Vernon in a holiday battle at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Bryce Valley and Valley will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Mustangs will be up against the Buffalos' rather soft defense (which has allowed 60.6 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.