Basketball Recap: Nora Jenkins Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Smoky Mountain

There's no place like home for Tuscola, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. They walked away with a 66-55 win over the Smoky Mountain Mustangs on Tuesday. For the Mountaineers, this counts as revenge for the 65-41 victory the Mustangs walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2024.

Tuscola's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Nora Jenkins, who went 11 for 24 on her way to 30 points and eight boards. Those 30 points gave Jenkins a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Vesper Forbes, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds.

Tuscola smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in ten consecutive matches.

Smoky Mountain lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Aaliyah Voss, who went 6 of 14 en route to 15 points and three steals. Kieaira Ensley also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.

Tuscola pushed their record up to 7-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.8 points per game. As for Smoky Mountain, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-11 record this season.

Tuscola didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 51-36 loss against West Henderson on the 17th. As for Smoky Mountain, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 56-40 defeat against Franklin on the 15th.