The Sandhills/Thedford Knights posted their closest victory yet this season on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Sandhills Valley and snuck past 64-62. Given Sandhills/Thedford's advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 104th, while Sandhills Valley is ranked 209th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sandhills Valley's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Leyton Connell, who scored 17 points along with five assists. Isaac Goosey was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with two steals.
Even though they lost, Sandhills Valley were working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Sandhills/Thedford's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points per game. As for Sandhills Valley, they now have a losing record at 5-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Sandhills/Thedford will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Burwell on February 1st. As for Sandhills Valley, they will head out on the road to take on Maxwell at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The pair have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Maxwell and three for Sandhills Valley.
