The Hickory Grove Christian Lions's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They were outmatched by Sports Leadership & Management on the road and fell 72-29. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Hickory Grove Christian has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Hickory Grove Christian saw an underclassman step up: Kevin Powell dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 rebounds. Powell continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Reed Rhodes, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Hickory Grove Christian were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Sports Leadership & Management to victory, but perhaps none more so than Derrick Doe, who scored 12 points along with six steals and five assists. The matchup was Doe's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jonathan Olodude, who scored 13 points along with three steals.
Hickory Grove Christian has been struggling recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-10 record this season. As for Sports Leadership & Management, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 5-3.
Hickory Grove Christian won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Fort Mill at 3:00 p.m. on December 29, 2023. Hopefully Fort Mill focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 15 on Thursday. Sports Leadership & Management's road trip will continue as they head out to face Independence at 7:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023. Independence is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
