The Sparta Bulldogs can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They skirted past Steeleville 42-39. For Sparta, this counts as revenge for the 41-40 defeat Steeleville walked away with the last time they faced one another back in December of 2023.
Sparta's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kenzie Pierce, who scored 17 points along with five rebounds and four steals. The contest was Pierce's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Maddie Schulein, who scored 12 points.
Several Warriors players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Rylan Reiss , who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds. Reiss scored a full 43.6% of Steeleville's points, the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bailey Cole, who scored eight points.
Sparta's victory bumped their record up to 3-9. As for Steeleville, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-8 record this season.
Sparta is on the road again on Thursday and play against Marissa/Coulterville at 7:30 p.m. on January 4th. Marissa/Coulterville's defense has only allowed 26.3 points per game this season, so Sparta's offense will have their work cut out for Sparta. As for Steeleville, they will face off against New Athens at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully New Athens focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 26 on Tuesday.
