Basketball Recap: Oscar Smith Comes Up Short

Oscar Smith was the 43-22 winner over Western Branch when they last played one another back in January of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Oscar Smith Tigers fell to the Western Branch Bruins 41-35.

Zyonna Ellis

Steals

01/28/25 vs Western Branch	3
01/18/25 vs Bayside	4
01/17/25 @ Indian River	2
01/13/25 vs Ocean Lakes	8
01/09/25 @ Churchland	4

Despite the defeat, Oscar Smith saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Zyonna Ellis dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 boards. Ellis has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last ten times she's played. Another player making a difference was Mckenzie Reid, who posted two points and three steals.

Oscar Smith has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season. As for Western Branch, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-2.

Oscar Smith will head out on the road to face off against Nansemond River at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Nansemond River is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 61.2 points per game this season. Western Branch has already played their next match, a 58-33 win against Churchland on the 29th.