Basketball Recap: Athens Falls Despite Big Games from Cody Tobias and Sawyer Hill

Athens was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. The match between them and the Auburn Trojans didn't end well, with the Athens Warriors falling 68-53. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 437th, while the Trojans are ranked 42nd).

Despite the loss, Athens had strong showings from Sawyer Hill, who posted 17 points and five assists, and Cody Tobias, who went 6 for 12 on his way to 17 points. The dominant performance gave Tobias a new career-high in points. James Jones was another key player, putting up eight points along with 11 rebounds and four steals.

Even though they lost, Athens smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.

Athens' defeat dropped their record down to 12-11. As for Auburn, the victory (which was their 12th in a row) raised their record to 22-1.

Athens wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 68-43 loss against Carlinville on the 1st. Auburn has also already played their next matchup, a 51-43 defeat against Pleasant Plains on the 4th.