The Paint Valley Bearcats's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their tenth straight loss. They lost to Zane Trace at home by a decisive 52-38 margin. Paint Valley was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Zane Trace apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Despite the defeat, Paint Valley saw an underclassman step up: Delainey Mannion dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Mannion has scored all season.
Even though they lost, Paint Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Zane Trace only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Chloe Heshiser was the offensive standout of the match as she scored 17 points along with five steals. That's the first time this season that she scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Aubree Thomas, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds.
Paint Valley's loss was their seventh straight at home, which dropped their record down to 2-13. As for Zane Trace, their victory ended a six-game drought on the road and puts them at 2-13.
Paint Valley will take on Southeastern at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. Southeastern presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Paint Valley in Ohio (Southeastern is ranked 280th, while Paint Valley is ranked 679th). As for Zane Trace, they will be playing at home against Eastern at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Eastern is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
