Ashland is 1-9 against Bucklin since December of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Ashland Blue Jays will take on the Bucklin Red Aces in a tournament on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Ashland needed a bit of extra time to put away Kiowa County. They had just enough and edged the Mavericks out 51-49. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Blue Jays have posted since February 23, 2024.
Ashland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaya Milburn, who almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Milburn has scored at least a third of Ashland's points. Biannca Ceniceros was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 14 points and nine boards.
Ashland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Bucklin waltzed into their game on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They took their match with ease, bagging a 58-25 win over the Wildcats. With that victory, the Red Aces brought their scoring average up to 50.6 points per game.
Ashland better keep an eye on Emmy Kirk. She was instrumental in Bucklin's win, going 10 of 18 en route to 26 points and six steals. Kirk's evening made it five games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabel Bowman, who went 7 for 12 on her way to 15 points and three steals.
Ashland's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.4 points per game. As for Bucklin, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.
Ashland was taken down by Bucklin 74-38 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kirk, who went 7 of 10 en route to 21 points along with five assists and four steals. Now that Ashland knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
