After a string of five wins, the Vero Beach Indians's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They lost to Central at home by a decisive 80-61 margin. Vero Beach has not had much luck with Central recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
When it comes to explaining why Vero Beach lost, one person who can't be blamed is Emmanuel Guirand. Despite the final result, he went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 25 points and 1 assist. It was the first time this season that Guirand scored 15 or more points. Jaylen Shelly was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with three steals.
Central was led to victory by Christopher Maxon and Joseph Gayle. Maxon scored 22 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds, while Gayle scored 30 points. Maxon continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tavien Neille, who scored six points along with five steals.
Central's lineup was just a bit different on Monday as Neille got a bit more time on the court (18 vs. his season average of 9.1). Neille made the most of the opportunity, scoring six points along with five steals. A few more games like that and he might be seeing even more time going forward.
Vero Beach's loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-10. As for Central, they pushed their record up to 13-9 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road.
Vero Beach won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Melbourne at 7:30 p.m. on January 30th. Vero Beach knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five games -- so hopefully Melbourne likes a good challenge. As for Central, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against South Fork at 7:00 p.m. on January 30th. Averaging 68.38 points so far this season, Central's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so South Fork better be ready for a challenge.
