Valentine was the 39-36 winner over North Central when they last played one another back in February of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. Valentine took a 56-40 bruising from the North Central Knights on Thursday.
Joni Cox
| 02/13/25 vs North Central | 14 |
| 01/11/25 vs Holdrege | 12 |
| 01/14/25 @ Cody-Kilgore | 8 |
| 12/17/24 vs Ainsworth | 8 |
| 01/24/25 vs Broken Bow | 7 |
Paige Sprenger and Joni Cox certainly did their best on Thursday to avoid the loss. Sprenger posted 21 points along with eight rebounds and six steals, while Cox scored 14 points in addition to five boards and four steals. Those 14 points gave Cox a new career-high. Camilla Brown also deserves some recognition as she posted her first assist of the season.
Even though they lost, Valentine smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.
North Central found their leader in sophomore Mya Lewis, who went 9-for-18 to rack up 24 points in addition to eight steals and seven rebounds. Lewis has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 13 times she's played. Bridget Lewis was another key player, dropping a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards.
Valentine has been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which has put a noticeable dent in their 6-16 record this season. As for North Central, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
Looking ahead, Valentine will take on Bayard at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Valentine is facing Bayard at the right time seeing as Bayard is stuck on a four-game losing streak. As for North Central, they will host Plainview at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
