The Tri County Area Vikings's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight loss. They took a 65-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of Pine River Area. While losing is never fun, Tri County Area can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 425th, while Pine River Area is ranked 76th).
Tri County Area's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Connor Henry, who went 7 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points and 0 assists. Henry continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Andrew Lenon, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Tri County Area were working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Pine River Area was led to victory by Trevor Holmquist and Eli Smith. Holmquist scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and five assists, while Smith scored 16 points along with four steals. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for Smith. Sheen Pink was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Tri County Area's loss was their fifth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 1-5. As for Pine River Area, the win for they keeps them at an undefeated 5-0.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Tri County Area will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against Chippewa Hills at 7:30 p.m. on December 15th. As for Pine River Area, they will square off against Lake City at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
