The Chippewa Falls Cardinals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their ninth straight loss. They fell just short of Wausau West by a score of 57-54. While losing is never fun, Chippewa Falls can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Wisconsin basketball rankings (they are ranked 342nd, while Wausau West is ranked 100th).
Bennett Matteson was his usual excellent self, scoring 21 points along with nine rebounds for Wausau West. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Matteson has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Brett Butalla, who scored 14 points along with nine rebounds.
Chippewa Falls bumped their record down to 1-10 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Wausau West, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Chippewa Falls will take on River Falls at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. As for Wausau West, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Marshfield at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Marshfield will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
