The Smoky Hill Buffaloes waltzed into their game on Friday with five straight wins but they left with six. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 55-53 win over Cherokee Trail. Despite the win, that was the fewest points Smoky Hill has scored all season.
Smoky Hill got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Kevin Sylla out in front who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. Torian ray Gasaway was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with five steals.
Despite the loss, Cherokee Trail still got an impressive performance from Braylen Thomas, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jake Scott, who scored 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 victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.1 points per game. As for Cherokee Trail, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-9 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Smoky Hill will take on Mullen at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mullen will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 53rd, while Smoky Hill is ranked third). As for Cherokee Trail, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Golden at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
