Basketball Recap: Ethan Diles' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Belfry over Shroder Paideia Academy

On Friday, the Belfry Pirates were within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 61-55 to the Shroder Paideia Academy Jaguars. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Pirates came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 155th in Kentucky, while the Jaguars are ranked 432nd in Ohio).

Belfry lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Ethan Diles, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards. With that strong performance, Diles is now averaging an impressive 8.3 rebounds per game. Jaxon Estridge was another key player, putting up 16 points and three steals.

Belfry has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season. As for Shroder Paideia Academy, the win got them back to even at 3-3.

Belfry won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Magoffin County at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Belfry's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last ten games. As for Shroder Paideia Academy, they are taking a road trip to face off against North College Hill at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.