Basketball Recap: Steven Rodriguez's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Achievement First Providence over Central Falls

If Achievement First Providence was riding high fresh off their 50-15 takedown of Block Island last Wednesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Achievement First Providence Falcons fell just short of the Central Falls Warriors by a score of 43-41 on Saturday. The Falcons lost against the Warriors in their previous head to head back in January of 2024, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 70-28 score last time.

Achievement First Providence lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Steven Rodriguez, who posted 12 points. Stephen Adedire was another key player, putting up nine points.

Jamilson De Pina Almeida was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double with 18 points and 20 rebounds for Central Falls. De Pina Almeida is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last 14 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Hamilton Mendonca, who had seven points and seven rebounds.

Achievement First Providence's defeat dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Central Falls, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 8-10.

Looking ahead, Achievement First Providence will challenge Prout at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Prout's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 13 matches. As for Central Falls, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, an 80-48 victory against Providence Country Day on the 10th.