The Mitchell Tigers's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their ninth straight loss. They took a serious blow against Pine Bluffs, falling 61-31. While losing is never fun, Mitchell can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 211th in Nebraska, while Pine Bluffs is ranked 28th in Wyoming).
Despite the defeat, Mitchell saw an underclassman step up: Kate Pieper scored 22 points. That was a full 71% of Mitchell's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Mitchell bumped their record down to 3-11 with that loss, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Pine Bluffs, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-8.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Mitchell will take on Southeast at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Southeast's defense has only allowed 24.8 points per game this season, so Mitchell's offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Pine Bluffs, they will be playing at home against Burns at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
