The Gateway Charter Griffins's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight loss. They fell 54-44 to LaBelle. Gateway Charter found out winning isn't easy when you make six fewer threes than your opponent.
When it comes to explaining why Gateway Charter lost, one person who can't be blamed is Ellie Morin. Despite the final result, she scored 16 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Morin has scored all season. Jazmyne Trubina was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
LaBelle's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Marissa Burchard led the charge by scoring 25 points along with two steals. Burchard has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Aariah Johnson, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds.
Gateway Charter has not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-8 record this season. As for LaBelle, their victory bumped their record up to 10-7.
Gateway Charter won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Bishop Verot at 7:00 p.m. on January 24th. Bishop Verot presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Gateway Charter in Florida (Bishop Verot is ranked 129th, while Gateway Charter is ranked 322nd). As for LaBelle, they will be playing at home against Aubrey Rogers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
