The Nitro Wildcats put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They came out on top against Ripley by a score of 62-50. Given Nitro's advantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while Ripley is ranked 52nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Nitro's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ashton Crouch led the charge by scoring 25 points along with seven rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Crouch has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Caylem Thomas, who scored 15 points along with six assists and five steals.
Several Vikings players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Brandon Sias, who scored 12 points along with nine rebounds. Sias continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Cade Goode was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with three steals.
Nitro pushed their record up to 9-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home. As for Ripley, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Nitro will challenge George Washington at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. George Washington knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past four contests -- so hopefully Nitro likes a good challenge. As for Ripley, they will head out on the road to square off against Parkersburg Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Parkersburg Catholic's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last four matches.
