The Pinecrest Patriots suffered their closest defeat yet this season on Monday. They fell just short of Apex Friendship by a score of 58-55. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Pinecrest's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elijah Melton, who scored nine points along with 15 rebounds and two steals. Melton is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last four games he's played. London Ravenell was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Pinecrest has not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-5 record this season. As for Apex Friendship, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season.
Pinecrest won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Scotland at 7:30 p.m. on January 16th. Scotland knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully Pinecrest likes a good challenge. As for Apex Friendship, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Cary at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Cary is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.
