This season hasn't been kind to the Ellicott Thunderhawks, who are still winless after their seventh game. They had to suffer through a rough 86-29 loss at the hands of James Irwin. While losing is never fun, Ellicott can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 315th, while James Irwin is ranked 94th).
James Irwin was led to victory by Malik Willis and Matthew Lebron . Willis dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten steals, while Lebron scored 24 points along with seven assists and six steals. That makes it six consecutive games in which Lebron has scored at least 25% of James Irwin's points. Another player making a difference was Roman Burnside , who scored eight points.
Ellicott's loss was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which bumped their record down to 0-7. As for James Irwin, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
After both having extra time off, Ellicott and La Junta will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on January 5, 2024. La Junta has now lost seven straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 30. James Irwin will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Manitou Springs at 7:00 p.m. on January 5, 2024.
