While it was all tied up 21-21 at halftime, the Manual Rams were not quite the Bloomington Purple Raiders's equal in the second half on Thursday. Manual fell 49-42 to the Purple Raiders. Manual found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and post ten fewer assists than your opponent.
Several Rams players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Antaya Taylor, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Taylor continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Breyasia Grayson, who scored eight points along with 16 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Manual smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Bloomington found their leader in underclassman Tina Lenard, who scored 15 points along with six steals. Lenard is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed four or more in the last four games she's played. Crissiana Rose was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Manual's loss dropped their record down to 7-14. As for Bloomington, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-13.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Manual will take on the Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Richwoods is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road. As for Bloomington, they will look to defend their home court on Saturday against the Little Giants at 6:30 p.m. Canton is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 50.4 points per game this season.
