Basketball Recap: Bj Portis' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Northeast Lauderdale over Leake Central

Northeast Lauderdale suffered their closest defeat since November 21, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of the Leake Central Gators by a score of 62-59. The Trojans haven't had much luck with the Gators recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.

Northeast Lauderdale's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bj Portis, who went 6 for 13 en route to 16 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals. Another player making a difference was Steven Lightsey, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 12 points along with seven boards and six assists.

Northeast Lauderdale's defeat dropped their record down to 11-10. As for Leake Central, their win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 18-6.

Northeast Lauderdale wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 60-42 victory against Kemper County on the 25th. As for Leake Central, they will head out on the road to take on Louisville at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Leake Central knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 21 games -- so hopefully Louisville likes a good challenge.