Basketball Recap: Ahmed Mohammed's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Gateway over Skyline

On Saturday, the Gateway Olympians came up short against the Skyline Falcons and fell 80-70. Even though they lost, the Olympians' still made a splash on offense and bumped their average scoring up to 50.8 points per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Several Olympians players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Ahmed Mohammed, who went 9 of 16 en route to 27 points and five rebounds. Those 27 points gave Mohammed a new career-high. Nickalus Smith was another key player, putting up 21 points in addition to eight assists and six boards.

Even though they lost, Gateway smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive matches.

Skyline got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Johnny McCray out in front who went 6 for 10 on his way to 17 points along with eight rebounds and six steals. McCray is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last six games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jd Wright, who went 7 of 16 en route to 20 points.

Gateway's defeat dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Skyline, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-9.

Gateway will face off against Aurora Central at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Aurora Central is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 51.5 points per game this season. As for Skyline, it'll be a Battle of the Birds when the Skyline Falcons take on the Horizon Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Horizon will roll in looking for their tenth straight win, something Skyline surely won't give up without a fight.