The Northeast Academy Eagles's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their seventh straight defeat. They took a 47-42 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ridgecroft. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Northeast Academy in their matchups with the Rams: they've now lost five in a row.
Northeast Academy's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Hayes Hatcher, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 17 rebounds, and Arland Davis who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 45.2% of Northeast Academy's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Lena Taylor was another key contributor, scoring five points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Northeast Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 27 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgecroft only pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.
Ridgecroft's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Makenzie Slaughter, who scored ten points along with two blocks. Another player making a difference was Kate Chamblee, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Northeast Academy dropped their record down to 2-12 with that loss, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Ridgecroft, the victory for they keeps them at an undefeated 15-0.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Northeast Academy will square off against the Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lawrence Academy presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Eagles in North Carolina (the Warriors are ranked 170th, while the Eagles are ranked 485th). As for Ridgecroft, they and the Raiders will face off at 6:00 p.m. on January 25th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Hopefully Pungo Christian Academy focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 34 last Tuesday.
