The Grafton Clippers entered their tilt with the Hampton Roads Academy Navigators with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Grafton managed a 54-49 win over Hampton Roads Academy on Wednesday.
Grafton's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Taylor Ragland, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds. The matchup was Ragland's 11th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Riley Wilson, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Despite the defeat, Hampton Roads Academy saw an underclassman step up: Zuriel Pendleton-morant scored 20 points along with seven steals. Pendleton-morant also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Kenzie Cooper was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Grafton's victory bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Hampton Roads Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.
Grafton won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Smithfield at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th. Smithfield will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Virginia Rankings (they are ranked 344th, while Grafton is ranked 57th). As for Hampton Roads Academy, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Walsingham Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
