After flying high against Johnson County Central on Tuesday, Syracuse came back down to earth. The Rockets fell 59-54 to the Ashland-Greenwood Bluejays on Thursday. While losing is never fun, the Rockets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 44th, while the Bluejays are ranked second).
When it comes to explaining why Syracuse lost, don't look at Maxwell Parde. Despite the final result, he posted 14 points and seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Nolan Gartner, who put up nine points.
Leading Ashland-Greenwood to victory were Cooper Westerhold and Cal Kissinger. Westerhold went 9-for-12 to rack up 18 points, while Kissinger had 16 points and three steals. Westerhold is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 60% in the last seven games he's played. Derek Tonjes was another key player, putting up 14 points.
Syracuse's loss dropped their record down to 17-8. As for Ashland-Greenwood, their victory was their 22nd straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 24-1.
Looking ahead, Syracuse will head out to face off against Cozad at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The Rockets' defense better be ready for this one: the Haymakers have averaged an impressive 68.9 points per game this season. As for Ashland-Greenwood, they have already played their next game, a 71-26 win against Adams Central on the 28th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
