Basketball Recap: Empire Comes Up Short

It was a Battle of the Birds when Empire took on Thatcher on Friday. The Empire Ravens took a 59-44 bruising from the Thatcher Eagles. The Ravens were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Eagles apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February.

When it comes to explaining why Empire lost, don't look at Khari Gurley. Despite the final result, he posted 24 points and five rebounds. That's the most points Gurley has posted since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Donovan Davidson, who put up eight points and six rebounds.

Isaac Palmer continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Thatcher, almost dropping a double-double on 14 points and nine rebounds. Bronson Stringfellow was another key player, going 6 of 12 on his way to 15 points.

Empire has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season. As for Thatcher, they pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.

Empire wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 72-71 victory against Fort Thomas on the 20th. As for Thatcher, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 54-45 loss against Morenci on the 20th.