After a string of four wins, the Patel Trailblazers's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They fell just short of Bell Creek Academy by a score of 44-41. Patel was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Bell Creek Academy apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Despite the loss, Patel had strong showings from ADRIANA ELLIS, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds, and SIMARKAE MCLEAN, who scored 14 points. MCLEAN scored a full 34.1% of Patel's points, the 11th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Patel struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Bell Creek Academy pulled down 17 offensive rebounds.
Bell Creek Academy found their leader in underclassman Christyana Allen, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds. The game was Allen's third in a row with at least ten points. Falynne Fischer was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Patel's loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for Bell Creek Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Patel will square off against St. Petersburg Catholic at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Bell Creek Academy's road trip will continue as they head out to face Families Instructing Students HomeSchool at 6:00 p.m. on January 11th.
