The Miller Falcons's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their ninth straight loss. They took a 30-25 hit to the loss column at the hands of Clay.
Despite the defeat, Miller saw an underclassman step up: Grace Rider scored six points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Those three steals set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Lillian Anderson, who scored two points along with seven rebounds.
Even though they lost, Miller were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Clay was led to victory by Sophia Craft and Emma Emnett. Craft dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Emnett scored 13 points along with six assists and six rebounds. The game was Emnett's seventh in a row with at least ten points.
Miller's defeat was their fifth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 1-10. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 16.0 points per game. As for Clay, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 4-3.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Miller will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against Crooksville at 6:00 p.m. on December 30, 2023. Crooksville and Miller are at an even 3-3 over their past six head-to-heads. As for Clay, they will head out on the road to face off against Notre Dame at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. Notre Dame presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Clay in Ohio (Notre Dame is ranked 124th, while Clay is ranked 702nd).
