This season hasn't been kind to the Hinkley Thunderbirds, who are still winless after their 12th contest. They were beaten by Denver East 83-9 on Friday. While losing is never fun, Hinkley can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 308th, while Denver East is ranked 38th).
Despite the loss, Hinkley saw an underclassman step up: Nazae Hutchings scored four points along with nine steals. That's the first time this season that Hutchings grabbed two or more steals. Another player making a difference was Jimena Rivera, who scored five points.
Hinkley dropped their record down to 0-12 with that defeat, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 12.6 points per game. As for Denver East, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 9-8.
Hinkley will be playing in front of their home fans against Denver West at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Denver East's road trip will continue as they head out to face Legacy at 7:00 p.m. on January 29th.
