Basketball Recap: Brenton Smith's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Phalen Leadership Academy over Indianapolis Shortridge

If Phalen Leadership Academy was feeling good fresh off their 64-36 takedown of Salt Fork last Saturday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Phalen Leadership Academy Falcon fell to the Indianapolis Shortridge Blue Devils 54-49. The contest marked the Falcon's lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Phalen Leadership Academy lost on Thursday despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Brenton Smith, who went 5 of 7 on his way to 14 points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Drelan Vaden, who went 6 of 14 on his way to 14 points in addition to seven boards and three steals.

Indianapolis Shortridge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elijah Wilson, who went 8 for 19 on his way to 24 points in addition to five boards and four steals. The game was Wilson's eighth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jordan Yates, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 15 boards.

Falcon

Previous 5 Games

01/02/25 vs Indianapolis Shortridge	49-54
12/28/24 vs Salt Fork	64-36
12/27/24 vs Providence Cristo Rey	73-55
12/27/24 vs Milford	84-38
12/26/24 vs Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin	59-69

With the loss, Phalen Leadership Academy broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 5-6. As for Indianapolis Shortridge, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.

Phalen Leadership Academy wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 77-67 defeat against North Decatur on the 2nd. As for Indianapolis Shortridge, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 63-54 loss against Shelbyville on the 2nd.