The Cherokee Trail Cougars pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 61-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of Overland. Cherokee Trail found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and post nine fewer assists than your opponent.
Cherokee Trail's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Nathan Baack, who scored 13 points. Michael Steinbrinck was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Overland to victory, but perhaps none more so than Siraaj Ali, who scored ten points along with six assists and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Aidan Perez, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds.
Cherokee Trail has not been sharp recently as the team's lost 11 of their last 14 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season. As for Overland, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-8.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cherokee Trail will face off against the Bruins at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Overland, they will head out on the road to challenge the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Colorado (Arapahoe is ranked 36th, while the Trailblazers are ranked 30th).
