Nathan Kirk commands the offense for Buccaneers win

By Team Reports Feb 13, 2024, 6:34am

Recap: Mainland Buccaneers vs. Pine Ridge Panthers

It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Mainland Buccaneers had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They blew past the Panthers 66-40. Mainland has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 22 points or more this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Mainland to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nathan Kirk, who scored 19 points along with two steals. Kirk is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last seven games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Narayan Thomas, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and two steals.

Despite the loss, Pine Ridge still got an impressive performance from Elijah Laird, who scored 17 points. Canyon Powers was another key contributor, scoring six points along with three steals and three blocks.

Mainland is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season. As for Pine Ridge, their loss dropped their record down to 9-14.

Mainland didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 43-39 victory vs. St. Augustine on the 10th. Pine Ridge does not have any more games scheduled as of now.