Basketball Recap: Branson Martin's Big Game Can't Quite Lead North Duplin over Spring Creek

North Duplin was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss dating back to last season. They fell 61-53 to the Spring Creek Gators. If the Rebels were looking for revenge after losing 64-61 to them when the teams met, then they'll just have to keep looking.

North Duplin's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Branson Martin, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Martin a new career-high in assists (four). Another player making a difference was Jaelyn Ingram-Mathis, who posted eight points and five rebounds.

Rebels

Previous 4 Games

12/13/24 vs Spring Creek	53-61
12/12/24 @ East Duplin	51-65
12/10/24 vs Lejeune	59-74
03/05/24 @ Wilson Prep	47-92

Even though they lost, North Duplin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 16 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Leading Spring Creek to victory were Brennan Chambers and Nathan Jackson. Chambers dropped a double-double on 28 points and 13 boards, while Jackson went 7 of 16 on his way to 19 points and six boards. The contest was Jackson's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Darius Deal, who put up two points and six rebounds.

North Duplin's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Spring Creek, their victory ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4.

North Duplin and Wayne Country Day will compete for holiday cheer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Wayne Country Day's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five games. As for Spring Creek, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against New Bern at 3:30 p.m. on December 27th.