Basketball Recap: Elba Comes Up Short

Elba was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their 11th straight loss dating back to last season. They fell 53-41 to the Sutherland Sailors. The Bluejays lost against the Sailors in their previous head to head back in December of 2024, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 53-14 score last time.

Despite the loss, Elba still got an impressive performance from Ethan Lange, who shot 80% from the field on his way to 19 points and five boards. Thanks to that strong game, Lange now owns an excellent 46.4% shooting accuracy. Another player making a difference was Bladen Rathman, who posted four points and eight rebounds.

Mason Mortimer was a one-man wrecking crew For Sutherland. as he went 5-for-11 en route to 19 points and seven steals. They are undefeated when Mortimer posts 15 or more points, but 0-3 otherwise. Easton Smith was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to ten boards and four steals.

Elba's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Sutherland, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.

Elba will take on Dorchester in a holiday battle at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bluejays will be up against the Longhorns' rather soft defense (which has allowed 61.83 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Sutherland, they will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Potter-Dix on January 2, 2026.