The Buckingham Charter Knights will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against the Westlake Charter Explorers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Buckingham Charter will be strutting in after a win while Westlake Charter will be coming in after a loss.
The third road game was the charm for Buckingham Charter, as they earned their first road win of the season. They walked away with a 37-30 win over Vacaville Christian two weeks ago. That looming 37-30 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Buckingham Charter yet this season.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 66-27, which was the final score in Westlake Charter's tilt against Western Sierra Collegiate Academy on Wednesday. While losing is never fun, Westlake Charter can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 926th, while Western Sierra Collegiate Academy is ranked 395th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jarriel Taylor, who scored two points along with seven rebounds and three blocks. He hasn't dropped below two blocks for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinones Fleeton, who scored six points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Buckingham Charter's victory ended a 11-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4. As for Westlake Charter, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
Buckingham Charter took their win against Westlake Charter in their previous meeting back in December of 2022 by a conclusive 49-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for Buckingham Charter since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
