If the Clover Blue Eagles were feeling good off their 54-33 takedown of the Nation Ford Falcons last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Clover took a 63-59 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Vikings. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Clover in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now lost four in a row.
Defeat or not, Clover got some senior leadership from Brooke Taylor and Karis Alexander. Taylor almost dropped a double-double on 24 points and nine rebounds, while Alexander. scored 17 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Taylor has scored all season.
Spring Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lauren Crosland led the charge by dropping a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. Crosland is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last four games she's played. Zie'l Ratchford was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with five assists.
Clover has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-8 record this season. As for Spring Valley, their win bumped their record up to 12-10.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Clover will square off against the Bengals at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Blythewood is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games. As for Spring Valley, they will head out on the road to challenge the Yellow Jackets at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in South Carolina (Fort Mill is ranked 44th, while the Vikings are ranked 45th).
