The Pine Ridge Panthers pushed their score all the way to 64 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 65-64 to Astronaut. While losing is never fun, Pine Ridge can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 426th, while Astronaut is ranked 199th).
Despite the loss, Pine Ridge still got an impressive performance from Elijah Laird, who scored 24 points along with nine rebounds. Laird has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last 11 times he's played. Canyon Powers was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with eight assists and five steals.
Pine Ridge has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season. As for Astronaut, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pine Ridge will take on University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Astronaut won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Hagerty at 7:00 p.m. on January 24th. Hagerty is hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
