On Wednesday, the Eaglecrest Raptors faced the Smoky Hill Buffaloes in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Eaglecrest lost to Smoky Hill at home by a decisive 70-53 margin. Eaglecrest was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Smoky Hill apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2023.
Several Raptors players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Ladavian King, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. King is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Garrett Barger was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five rebounds.
Smoky Hill got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Carter Basquez out in front who almost dropped a triple-double on 12 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Kevin Sylla, who scored 19 points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Eaglecrest's defeat dropped their record down to 9-4. As for Smoky Hill, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 11-3.
Eaglecrest will head out on the road to take on Overland at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Siraaj Ali and King. As for Smoky Hill, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against Cherokee Trail at 7:00 p.m. Cherokee Trail is hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
