The Pueblo South Colts pushed their score all the way to 57 on Saturday, but even that wasn't enough to win. The contest between Pueblo South and Smoky Hill wasn't particularly close, with Pueblo South falling 73-57. While losing is never fun, Pueblo South can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 96th, while Smoky Hill is ranked fifth).
When it comes to explaining why Pueblo South lost, one person who can't be blamed is Maurice Austin. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 28 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 49.1% of Pueblo South's points, marking the 11th time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Sergio Salazar, who scored eight points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Smoky Hill's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kevin Sylla, who scored 24 points along with seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Basquez, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and five assists.
Pueblo South has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. As for Smoky Hill, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 10-3.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pueblo South will take on Pueblo East at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Pueblo East is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak. As for Smoky Hill, they will head out on the road to challenge Eaglecrest at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Eaglecrest's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last three matchups.
