Valentine lost against the McCook Bison back in December of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Thursday. Valentine took a 50-37 hit to the loss column at the hands of McCook. Valentine has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
When it comes to explaining why Valentine lost, one person who can't be blamed is Kinsey Buechle. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Buechle is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Alivia Patterson was another key contributor, scoring four points.
Even though they lost, Valentine smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Valentine has not been sharp recently, as they've lost nine of their last 12 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-10 record this season. As for McCook, the win got them back to even at 8-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Valentine will take on Gothenburg at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Gothenburg presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Valentine in Nebraska (Gothenburg is ranked 22nd, while Valentine is ranked 155th). As for McCook, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against Ogallala at 6:00 p.m. Ogallala and McCook are at an even 5-5 over their past ten head-to-heads.
