Basketball Recap: Umatilla Takes a Loss

Umatilla was the 67-61 winner over Mount Dora Christian Academy when they last played one another back in January of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Umatilla Bulldogs took a blow against the Mount Dora Christian Academy Bulldogs on Tuesday, falling 84-49. While losing is never fun, Umatilla can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 620th, while Mount Dora Christian Academy is ranked 297th).

Several Bulldogs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Shawn Donovan, who posted nine points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ray Jenkins, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten boards.

Even though they lost, Umatilla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive matches.

Mount Dora Christian Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Luke Deininger led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 19 points and nine boards. Deininger is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 19 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Landon Marenco, who had 16 points and three steals.

Umatilla's loss dropped their record down to 3-9. As for Mount Dora Christian Academy, they now have a winning record of 7-6.

Umatilla didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 51-43 win against Mount Dora on the 10th. As for Mount Dora Christian Academy, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 68-40 victory against Meadowbrook Academy on the 10th.