It was a good run, but the Hardaway Hawks unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 54-53 to Cairo. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Hardaway came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 119th, while Cairo is ranked 285th).
When it comes to explaining why Hardaway lost, one person who can't be blamed is Lamell Mims. Despite the final result, he scored 16 points. The match was Mims' fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Johnathan Kyles, who scored ten points.
Hardaway struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Cairo was led to victory by Keshen Spence and Jykortnee Brown. Spence scored 18 points along with six assists and five rebounds, while Brown scored 14 points along with five rebounds. Those six assists set a new season-high mark for him. Kylon Brown was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Hardaway's defeat dropped their record down to 9-6. As for Cairo, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hardaway will take on Northside at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Northside has now lost eight straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 11. As for Cairo, they will look to defend their home court on Saturday against Thomasville at 8:00 p.m. Thomasville has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 188 points over their last three games.
