Basketball Recap: Freedom Comes Up Short

Freedom suffered their closest loss since February 2nd on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Celebration Storm by a score of 59-56. The Patriots were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Storm apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.

When it comes to explaining why Freedom lost, don't look at Riccardo Palombarini. Despite the final result, he went 6 for 9 on his way to 19 points in addition to six boards and four steals. The contest was Palombarini's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Adam Negede, who went 6 of 15 on his way to 13 points and five rebounds.

Even though they lost, Freedom smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.

Celebration's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Nicholas Edouard, who posted nine points. The team also got some help courtesy of Edson Oliveira Da Silva, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine rebounds.

Freedom's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Celebration, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-4.

Freedom didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 48-47 defeat against Tohopekaliga on the 18th. As for Celebration, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 45-41 loss against Timber Creek on the 19th.