Basketball Recap: Stratford Comes Up Short

Stratford played a tough match on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against the Wando Warriors, falling 61-41. While losing is never fun, the Knights can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Warriors are ranked 15th).

When it comes to explaining why Stratford lost, don't look at Sydnie Stepney. Despite the final result, she almost dropped a triple-double on nine points, 22 rebounds, and nine blocks. Stepney has been hot for a while, having posted two or more blocks the last 23 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ciara Mustapher, who posted 20 points in addition to seven boards and three steals.

Even though they lost, Stratford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive games.

Isabel Waite continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Wando, almost dropping a double-double on 15 points and nine rebounds. That's the most boards Waite has posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Selah George, who earned 14 points.

Stratford has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-13 record this season. As for Wando, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 16-3.

Coincidentally, the two teams will both be playing Lucy Beckham the next time they take the court. Wando will host Lucy Beckham at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, while Stratford will head out to face them at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.