The Burwell Longhorns were the 31-30 winner over the Central Valley Cougars when they last played one another on January 4th, but their luck changed this time around. Burwell took a 38-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of Central Valley on Saturday. Burwell has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Burwell's loss came despite strong showings from Kaitlyn Hughes and Brookelyn Gideon. Hughes scored four points along with five assists and four steals, while Gideon scored 12 points. Hughes is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 13 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Avery Mann, who scored eight points along with five rebounds.
Burwell struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Central Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Alexis Johnson led the charge by scoring nine points along with 16 rebounds and three steals. Johnson has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cayle Grossart, who scored ten points along with six rebounds.
Burwell has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-7 record this season. As for Central Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 8-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Burwell will take on Arcadia/Loup City at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Central Valley, they will be playing at home against Riverside at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
