The East Duplin Panthers's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. They fell to Richlands 52-47. East Duplin has not had much luck with Richlands recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite the loss, East Duplin saw an underclassman step up: Zachary Ball scored 15 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Garrett Johnson was another key contributor, scoring five points along with three blocks and two steals.
Mekhi Mack was the offensive standout of the contest as he scored 26 points along with three steals. That's the first time this season that he scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of KeAndre Mattocks, who scored six points along with six rebounds.
East Duplin bumped their record down to 1-9 with that loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Richlands, their win bumped their record up to 5-8.
East Duplin won't have much time to rest: their next game is against James Kenan at 8:00 p.m. on January 11th. James Kenan has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 205 points over their last three matchups. As for Richlands, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Swansboro at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Swansboro will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.
