The Atchison Phoenix will head out on the road to square off against the Valley Falls Dragons on Friday. Hopefully Atchison focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 21 on Tuesday.
After a string of three wins, Atchison's good fortune finally ran out. They fell just short of Jefferson County North by a score of 51-48.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Presley Simpson, who scored 27 points along with six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Kaiya Downing was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with two blocks.
Meanwhile, Valley Falls' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fourth straight loss. They received a tough blow as they fell 46-32 to Northeast Kansas Nighthawks HomeSchool. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Valley Falls has scored all season.
Valley Falls' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Korie Kirkwood, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds, and Lauren Brown who scored eight points along with six rebounds and three steals. That was a full 56.3% of Valley Falls' points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Atchison's record is now 4-4. Valley Falls' record is now 3-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Atchison have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Valley Falls struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Atchison was able to grind out a solid win over Valley Falls when the teams last played back in January of 2023, winning 53-40. The rematch might be a little tougher for Atchison since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
