Basketball Recap: Sanderson Takes a Loss

Sanderson was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 20th straight defeat dating back to last season. They were outmatched by the Athens Drive Jaguars and fell 56-12. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 539th, while the Jaguars are ranked 193rd).

Sanderson's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Idah Ongwacho, who posted five points. Devon Whitluck was another key player, putting up four points.

Makenzie Kelly was her usual excellent self, going 8 of 11 en route to 19 points along with six boards and four steals for Athens Drive. That's the most points Kelly has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Sheppard, who put up seven points and nine rebounds.

Sanderson's defeat dropped their record down to 0-16. As for Athens Drive, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-7.

Sanderson wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 45-26 victory against Enloe on the 4th. As for Athens Drive, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 51-38 loss against Leesville Road on the 4th.