The Governor Thomas Johnson Patriots's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They were beaten by Smithsburg 67-28. While losing is never fun, Governor Thomas Johnson can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked 226th, while Smithsburg is ranked 85th).
Governor Thomas Johnson lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Arianna Opazo, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Opazo has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Zoe Nso, who scored four points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Skyla Mastronardi continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Smithsburg, dropping a double-double on 21 points and ten assists. Mastronardi is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 13 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jill Mallott, who scored 13 points along with two steals and two blocks.
Governor Thomas Johnson has been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-16 record this season. As for Smithsburg, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 14-5.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Governor Thomas Johnson's road trip will continue as they head out to face North Hagerstown at 7:00 p.m. on February 13th. North Hagerstown is coming into the matchup with six straight losses at home, meaning Governor Thomas Johnson will have to defend against a squad hungry for a victory. As for Smithsburg, they will head out on the road to take on Francis Scott Key at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Francis Scott Key is coming into the match with seven straight losses at home, meaning Smithsburg will have to defend against a team hungry for a win.
