Ashland hasn't had much luck against Bucklin recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Ashland Blue Jays will face off against the Bucklin Red Aces at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Ashland comes in on five and Bucklin on 16.
Ashland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They took down Moscow 43-27.
Jaya Milburn
| 03/01/25 vs Moscow | 2 |
| 02/24/25 vs Rolla | 2 |
| 02/21/25 @ Rolla | 3 |
| 02/17/25 vs Minneola | 4 |
| 02/14/25 vs Spearville | 3 |
It was another big night for Jaya Milburn, who dropped a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. She is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last five games she's played. Emilia Ceniceros was another key player, putting up six points and five boards.
Ashland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bucklin). They blew past Cunningham 67-25 on Saturday. Given the Red Aces' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 37th, while the Wildcats are ranked 311th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ashland better keep an eye on Emmy Kirk. She was instrumental in Bucklin's win, almost dropping a double-double with 17 points and nine assists. Another player making a difference was Karlee Evans, who went 6-for-10 on her way to 15 points and six rebounds.
Ashland pushed their record up to 12-9 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.1 points over those games. As for Bucklin, their record now sits at 18-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Ashland has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Bucklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Ashland was taken down by Bucklin 58-30 when the teams last played back in February. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Ashland was down 31-7.
