In a Twin Valley League showdown on the hardwood it was the Onaga Buffalos and Valley Heights Mustangs squaring off and each school earned a victory on the night with the split. In the girls game it was all Valley Heights over a depleted Onaga team 63-33, but the boys game went down to the wire with the road team Onaga topping Valley Heights 41-39 in the contest.

The night got started with a sluggish start to the girl’s game but that quickly changed for the home team, Valley Heights as sophomore, Brandi Jo Roepke took over early and couldn’t miss early on netting 15 of her game high 28 points in the first quarter alone. Behind Roepke’s 15 points in the first, Valley Heights lead 19-8 after the first quarter and didn’t look back earning the win at home 63-33 to remain undefeated on the season at 6-0 and currently are ranked number two in Class 1A-Division I poll by the KBCA. Roepke on the night earned the Community National Bank “Player to Bank On” on KMZA with her performance.

On top of another great performance by Roepke, Mustangs junior, Sidney Blackburn put together another stellar performance this season too adding 23 points on the night.

For the Onaga Buffalos they were playing without three starters for a majority of the game and struggled to orchestra the offense with Valley Heights’ pressure defense forcing the Lady Buffalos into over 20 turnovers. Onaga in the loss was led by junior, Rebekah Glessner who tallied 12 points, as the Buffalos fell to 2-4 on the year with the loss.

The boy’s matchup proved to be a close one all the way down to the wire with the Onaga Buffalos handing Valley Heights Mustangs their first loss of the season, in a thrilling 41-39 Buffalo win.

Both teams started slow as the Mustangs lead 8-4 after the first quarter, but Onaga took the 17-15 lead into halftime with a 13-7 second quarter. The second half proved to be affected by fouls for both teams as Charles Musil and Jarod Gronewoller for Valley Heights and Onaga, respectively each picked up early third fouls in the third quarter and for Musil ultimately fouled out early in the fourth quarter with only four points.

Gronewoller and the Buffalos used their advantage instead with Musil off the floor to earn the comeback win after falling behind by five after the third quarter. Onaga put together a 16-9 fourth quarter with Gronewoller scoring nine of his 17 points in the fourth and Wyatt Cordell hit the game winner after a steal in the backcourt to earn the 41-39 road win, but it didn’t come with far more dramatics in the final minute.

Buffalos looking for the final shot with game tied at 39-39, took the clock down and with 10.6 seconds left Cordell got his shot blocked by Elijah Smith and Valley Heights called a timeout after gaining possession. Then Onaga’s Cordell stole the ball from Smith in the backcourt and made the layup to give Onaga the 41-39 lead but Valley Heights had a few seconds left and moved down the court and Gage Woodyard threw up a shot and made it but it was waved off as it was shot just after the buzzer sounded.

Cordell joined Gronewoller in double figures for Onaga with 10 points and earned Community National Bank “Player to Bank On” honors on KMZA for his play, helping Onaga improve to 5-1.

Valley Heights with the loss fell to 5-1 on the season and was led Gage Woodyard who posted 12 points, while Smith added 11 points.

Next up the two teams is a date with B&B at home for the Buffalos on Friday, while Valley Heights travels to Hanover on Friday.