The Springfield Longhorns struggled with assists on Thursday (the McClave Cardinals had 17 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Springfield took a 60-49 hit to the loss column at the hands of McClave. Springfield has struggled against McClave recently, as their match on Thursday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Springfield's loss came despite strong showings from Colby Batterton and Colin Swanson. Batterton dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds, while Swanson scored 17 points along with five rebounds and three steals. That's the first time this season that Swanson scored 15 or more points.
Springfield struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
McClave's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tuff Kelley, who scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Kelley has scored at least 25% of McClave's points. Another player making a difference was Jr. Mungaray, who scored 15 points along with six rebounds.
Springfield's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for McClave, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Springfield won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Granada at 1:30 a.m. on December 15th. Granada will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 276th, while Springfield is ranked 114th). McClave will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against Holly at 8:30 p.m. on December 15th. Holly will be coming into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
