Basketball Recap: Bishop Ryan Falls Short Against Ranked Westhope/Newburg

On Friday, Bishop Ryan faced Westhope/Newburg in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Bishop Ryan Lions fell to the Westhope/Newburg Sioux 57-53. The matchup was a 30-30 toss-up at halftime, but the Lions couldn't quite close it out.

Walker Braaten continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Westhope/Newburg, dropping a double-double on 38 points and ten boards. Braaten's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least 18 points. Another player making a difference was Braden Bailey, who posted ten points and three steals.

Having lost for the first time this season, Bishop Ryan fell to 17-1. As for Westhope/Newburg, they pushed their record up to 14-2 with the victory, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season.

Looking ahead, Bishop Ryan won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Trinity at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for Westhope/Newburg, they will challenge Surrey at 7:15 p.m. on Monday.