This season hasn't been kind to the Jim Thorpe Olympians, who are still winless after their 12th contest. They were outmatched by Panther Valley on the road and fell 70-38. While losing is never fun, Jim Thorpe can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 591st, while Panther Valley is ranked 215th).
When it comes to explaining why Jim Thorpe lost on Saturday, one person who can't be blamed is Kiara Ginopolas. Despite the final result, she scored 15 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Ginopolas has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Sarah Hartman, who scored seven points.
Panther Valley was led to victory by Maddison Maynard and Morgan Orsulak. Maynard dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds, while Orsulak dropped a double-double on 23 points and 18 rebounds. Orsulak continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Kaidence Krapf was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Jim Thorpe bumped their record down to 0-12 with that defeat, which was their sixth straight on the road. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 19.7 points per game. As for Panther Valley, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 11-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Jim Thorpe will take on Lehighton at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Panther Valley, they will head out on the road to square off against Blue Mountain at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
