In a Monday night showdown of four winning basketball teams in the Northeast Kansas League, the results were merely the same as the first meeting on January 8th as the Jackson Heights girls pulled away in the second half for a convincing win and the Valley Falls boys used size to hold on for a tight victory.  

GIRLS = Jackson Heights 57, Valley Falls 35

The Lady Cobras used a 7-0 run to take a 9-3 lead and never really looked back.  Valley Falls made four three-pointers in each half, but struggled with more than 20 turnovers and rebouding and defending inside the paint.  Valley Falls was within 26-20 in the second quarter before Kylie Dohl and Abby Brey hit treys to push the margin to 12 and then the Cobras put the game out of reach with a 16-8 third period.  

Dohl scored 16 of her 24 points in the second half while Brey had nine of her 11 in the first two quarters and Amaya Marlatt chipped in nine points total.  Class 2A #5 ranked, Jackson Heights, improved to 12-2 overall on the season and 9-2 in the Northeast Kansas League.  

Reagan Kirkwood led Valley Falls with 16 points, including the final five of the game while Jaci Brinker scored 13 and hit three triples.  The Dragons are now 8-9 overall and 6-7 in the NEKL.  

BOYS = Valley Falls 44, Jackson Heights 39

A great start for the Cobra boys resulted in an early 8-0 lead, but following a timeout by Dragon Coach Caleb Gatzemeyer, Valley Falls scored the next 12 points and never gave up the lead.  Also following the timeout, Jackson Heights didn't score over the next eight minutes and trailed 19-13 at halftime.  Valley Falls pushed the lead to 33-23 at the end of the third quarter with their only three-pointer of the contest by freshman Avery Gatzemeyer.  The lead grew to 42-27 with under two minutes to play before the Cobras made a late push with a few steals and baskets, but ultimetely, ran out of time.

The inside duo of Tyler Lockhart and Hunter Aspinwall were again the difference as both guys recorded double-doubles.  Lockhart posted 17 points and Aspinwall had 15, while the rest of the team combined for 12 points as Valley Falls improved to 13-4 overall and 10-3 in the Northeast Kansas League.  They have just three games remaining before 1A Regionals. 

Levi Olberding had 12 points to lead Jackson Heights, but the Cobras top three scorers were all held to under half their season average.  Heights also made just 3 of 10 free throws before falling to 7-7 on the season and 7-5 in the NEKL.  The Cobras have five games remaining, including two road trips still this week to ACCHS and McLouth.  

Citizens State Bank and Trust Company of Hiawatha "Players to Bank On:"

Kylie Dohl of Jackson Heights and Tyler Lockhard from Valley Falls