Ponca had lost three straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 11-5 to make it four. They came up short against Winnebago, falling 76-54. Ponca was down 61-38 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Despite the loss, Ponca saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Caden Cleveland shot 63% from the field on his way to 10 points. Gannon Pfister was another key player, putting up nine points.
As for Winnebago, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season. They have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 20 points or more this season.
Winnebago's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ashton LaPointe, who went 10-for-14 en route to 21 points and six boards. What's more, LaPointe also posted a 71% shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in January of 2025. Adrian LaPointe also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.
Ponca has already played their next matchup, a 47-44 victory against Cedar Catholic on the 27th. As for Winnebago, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 63-26 win against Bancroft-Rosalie on the 27th.
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