Basketball Recap: Clover Garden School Takes a Loss

Clover Garden School has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a 62-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Phoenix Academy Firebirds on Friday.

Despite the loss, Clover Garden School still got an impressive performance from Hanna Tickle, who almost dropped a double-double with 28 points and nine boards. That was a full 54.9% of Clover Garden School's points, marking the 20th time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. Nikole Weed was another key player, putting up eight points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Clover Garden School smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Phoenix Academy's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Destiny Kinsey, who had 19 points along with four blocks and three steals. The game was Kinsey's eighth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Kinsey, who went 5 of 8 en route to 13 points in addition to five boards and four steals.

Clover Garden School's defeat dropped their record down to 14-6. As for Phoenix Academy, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-11 record this season.

Clover Garden School wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 52-42 loss against Triangle Math & Science on the 10th. As for Phoenix Academy, they will be playing at home against Community Baptist at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.