Basketball Recap: Jessica Bowens' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Ballston Spa over Niskayuna

If Ballston Spa was riding high fresh off their 70-14 takedown of Schenectady last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Ballston Spa Scotties fell to the Niskayuna Silver Warriors 47-43. The loss continues a trend for the Scotties in their matchups with the Silver Warriors: they've now lost nine in a row.

Ballston Spa's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jessica Bowens, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. That's the most points Bowens has posted since back in November of 2023. Mallory Sprissler was another key player, putting up eight points along with 12 boards and four steals.

Even though they lost, Ballston Spa smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 12 consecutive matchups.

Niskayuna's win on Friday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Natalie Birmingham, who went 7 of 13 en route to 19 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Roemer, who posted four points in addition to nine boards and three steals.

Ballston Spa's loss dropped their record down to 8-4. As for Niskayuna, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-5.

When Ballston Spa and Niskayuna next hit the court, they'll be up against teams who recently just can't seem to lose. Ballston Spa will face off against Guilderland and their five-game winning streak at 6:00 p.m. on January 28th. Similarly, Niskayuna will try to stop Columbia's 11-game winning streak when the meet at 6:00 p.m. on January 24th.