Basketball Recap: Kaleb Swanigan's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Hylton over Gar-Field

Hylton was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss. They fell 71-58 to the Gar-Field Red Wolves. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 382nd, while the Red Wolves are ranked 97th).

Hylton's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kaleb Swanigan, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds. Swanigan has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Elisha Asante, who went 5 for 7 on his way to 15 points.

Bulldogs

Previous Games

01/17/25 @ Gar-Field	58-71
01/15/25 @ Woodbridge	46-75
01/14/25 @ Charles J. Colgan	40-68
01/10/25 vs Forest Park	18-67
12/30/24 vs Warren County	48-68
+ 3 more games

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

Gar-Field found their leader in sophomore Jonathan Jason Bell, who went 7 of 13 en route to 21 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals. Elijhah Walden was another key player, putting up eight points along with five assists and five boards.

Hylton's loss dropped their record down to 1-14. As for Gar-Field, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season.

Hylton will be playing in front of their home fans against Freedom at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hylton is facing Freedom at the right time seeing as Freedom is stuck on a five-game losing streak. As for Gar-Field, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 50-44 win against Edison on the 18th.