The Whale Branch Warriors's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their third straight loss. The game between them and Bamberg-Ehrhardt wasn't particularly close, with Whale Branch falling 41-27. Whale Branch has struggled against Bamberg-Ehrhardt recently, as their match on Monday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the defeat, Whale Branch saw an underclassman step up: Zaria Coaxum scored 14 points along with five steals. That was a full 51.9% of Whale Branch's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Alyssa Fields, who scored four points.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Cailyn Youmans led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. Youmans is crushing the rebound category: she's posted at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Raven Brown was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and nine rebounds.
Whale Branch dropped their record down to 4-16 with that loss, which was their third straight at home. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 26.0 points per game. As for Bamberg-Ehrhardt, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 games, which provided a nice bump to their 17-4 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Whale Branch will stay at home for another game and welcome Branchville at 6:30 p.m. on February 2nd. Branchville has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Bamberg-Ehrhardt, they will look to defend their home court on Wednesday against Allendale-Fairfax at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Bamberg-Ehrhardt sitting on five straight wins and Allendale-Fairfax on six.
