Basketball Recap: Xy'mari Bethea's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Latta over Aynor

Latta was the 54-52 winner over Aynor when they last played one another last Wednesday, but their luck changed this time around. The Latta Vikings fell 41-33 to the Aynor Blue Jackets on Monday. The contest marked the Vikings' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Latta lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Xy'Mari Bethea, who posted 13 points and four steals. Bethea is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Shayon Mcgruder was another key player, putting up 12 points and five rebounds.

Aynor was led to victory by Robinson Mendez and Jamarion Mitchell. Mendez dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Mitchell had nine points and five steals. That's the most steals Mitchell has posted since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Austin Tanyika, who posted seven points and eight boards.

Latta now has a losing record at 2-3. As for Aynor, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Latta didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 48-42 defeat against Cheraw on the 10th. As for Aynor, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 55-41 loss against Hannah-Pamplico on the 10th.