This season hasn't been kind to the Jim Thorpe Olympians, who are still winless after their 16th contest. They were beaten by Tamaqua 72-28 on Thursday. Jim Thorpe was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-12.
When it comes to explaining why Jim Thorpe lost, one person who can't be blamed is Sarah Hartman. Despite the final result, she scored nine points. Another player making a difference was Kiara Ginopolas, who scored six points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Tamaqua to victory, but perhaps none more so than Makayla Bartenope, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. It was the first time this season that Bartenope scored 15 or more points. Lorelei Plasha was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds.
Jim Thorpe's loss was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-16. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 20.6 points per game. As for Tamaqua, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season.
Jim Thorpe will be playing in front of their home fans against the Golden Bears at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Tamaqua, they will head out on the road to face off against the Battlin' Miners at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Minersville's defense has only allowed 29.6 points per game this season, so the Blue Raiders' offense will have their work cut out for them.
