The Cherokee Trail Cougars's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Smoky Hill by a score of 55-53. While losing is never fun, Cherokee Trail can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 97th, while Smoky Hill is ranked third).
When it comes to explaining why Cherokee Trail lost, one person who can't be blamed is Braylen Thomas. Despite the final result, he scored 14 points along with five rebounds. Jake Scott was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with two steals.
Cherokee Trail struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Smoky Hill pulled down 12 offensive rebounds.
Smoky Hill's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kevin Sylla, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Torian ray Gasaway, who scored ten points along with five steals.
Cherokee Trail bumped their record down to 5-9 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.8 points per game. As for Smoky Hill, the victory was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cherokee Trail will take on Golden at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Smoky Hill, they will be playing at home against Mullen at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
