Basketball Recap: L.C. Bird Comes Up Short

L.C. Bird lost against Manchester back in January and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The L.C. Bird Skyhawks took a 47-42 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Manchester Lancers. While losing is never fun, the Skyhawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 105th, while the Lancers are ranked 17th).

Despite the loss, L.C. Bird saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kylie Kent dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Kent has scored all season. Essence Cushionberry was another key player, putting up nine points.

Even though they lost, L.C. Bird smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Manchester's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Madison Smith, who went 6 of 10 on her way to 13 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Rayne Wright, who posted ten points along with seven rebounds and three steals.

L.C. Bird's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-2. As for Manchester, their victory was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1.

L.C. Bird will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Nansemond River at 2:00 p.m. on December 28th. Manchester will also get a bit of a break before their next contest: they'll face off against Bishop Ireton at 6:00 p.m. on January 4, 2025.