Pender played a tough game on Monday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by the East Bladen Eagles and fell 52-25. While losing is never fun, the Patriots can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 528th, while the Eagles are ranked 135th).
Despite the defeat, Pender saw an underclassman step up: freshman Maddison Francis posted 13 points. That was a full 52% of Pender's points, marking the third time in a row Francis has scored more than a third of the team's points.
East Bladen got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Laila Smith out in front who went 5-for-6 to rack up 15 points in addition to seven boards and four steals. Smith is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as she's posted one of at least 45% in the last 11 games she's played. Ariel Cromartie was another key player, going 8-for-10 on her way to 17 points along with five rebounds and five steals.
Pender has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 3-11 record this season. As for East Bladen, the victory (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 19-3.
Pender didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 37-31 win against West Columbus on the 11th. As for East Bladen, they have also already played their next game, a 72-33 victory against Whiteville on the 11th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
