Yuma High School’s boys basketball team finds itself in an unfamiliar spot as it prepares for the start of league play later this week.
The Indians dropped to 0-3 in the young season with a 57-38 loss to the Chase County Longhorns, Tuesday night in Imperial, Nebraska.
Next up is the beginning of Lower Platte Activities Association play, Friday at home against Holyoke, followed by a trip to Julesburg to take on Sedgwick County on Saturday.
Admittedly, Chase County was playing its 19th game of the season, compared to it being Yuma’s third game, but the Longhorns entered Tuesday’s game on a three-game losing streak, most recently a double-digit loss to Hershey.
Yuma ran out to a 7-2 lead, but in the end the Longhorns posted their eighth straight win over the Tribe.
Chase County regrouped to lead 14-11 at the end of the first quarter. Yuma kept sticking around, trailing 23-22 at halftime.
The Indians briefly took a lead in the third, but the Longhorns rallied for a 37-33 lead by the end of the quarter. The home team eventually built a 10-point lead, 50-40, with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left. The Tribe kept battling, getting to within six with 36 seconds left, but never could completely close the gap.
Clay Robinson had 15 points and three rebounds, Javier Gamboa 11 points and seven rebounds, Cade Morton 10 points, Beau Tate seven points and six rebounds, Forest Rutledge three points, and Javier Duran two points and two rebounds.
