While the Berthoud Spartans couldn't quite beat the Sterling Tigers on Tuesday, the three-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 38-point loss they were dealt last Thursday. Berthoud fell just short of Sterling by a score of 50-47. Berthoud has struggled against Sterling recently, as their game on Tuesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Berthoud lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Isaac Erickson, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Ryan Callies, who scored nine points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Sterling to victory, but perhaps none more so than Dayten DiOrio, who scored 21 points along with six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points DiOrio has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Colin Linn, who scored seven points along with four steals.
Berthoud dropped their record down to 8-5 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for Sterling, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
Berthoud will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Valley at 7:00 p.m. Valley has now lost ten straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 8. As for Sterling, they will square off against North Platte at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. North Platte knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matches -- so hopefully Sterling likes a good challenge.
