Basketball Recap: Cross Keys Gets the Win

Cross Keys took a 21-point defeat the last time they faced off against Howard, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cross Keys Phoenix came out on top in a nail-biter against the Howard Hawks on Friday, sneaking past 53-51. While the Phoenix didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Dre Tucker continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, putting up 29 points and five steals. The contest was his 11th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Christian Holmes, who posted ten points in addition to six boards and four steals.

Despite the loss, Howard saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Michael Davis put up 31 points. That was a full 60.8% of Howard's points, marking the third time in a row he's had more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Zach Danzig, who posted nine points.

Cross Keys' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.0 points per game. As for Howard, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3.

Cross Keys wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 68-58 loss against Atlanta Jewish Academy on the 17th. As for Howard, they won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Cross Keys at 7:00 p.m. on January 14, 2025.