Basketball Recap: St. John XXIII Comes Up Short

St. John XXIII's tournament run continued when they took on Parker-Tarrant HomeSchool on Friday. The St. John XXIII Lions fell 64-51 to the Parker-Tarrant HomeSchool Warriors. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 863rd, while the Warriors are ranked 128th).

Parker-Tarrant HomeSchool's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Toby Pike led the charge by dropping a double-double on 12 points and 14 boards. Pike is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last ten games he's played. Wyatt Huston was another key player, putting up 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals.

St. John XXIII has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.6 points per game. As for Parker-Tarrant HomeSchool, they pushed their record up to 20-4 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season.

St. John XXIII will face off against Houston HomeSchool on Friday. Houston HomeSchool will roll in looking for their ninth straight win, something St. John XXIII surely won't give up without a fight. As for Parker-Tarrant HomeSchool, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against North Central Texas Academy at 7:30 p.m. on January 17, 2025.