The Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Falcons waltzed into their game Thursday with two straight wins but they left with three. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Eldorado 52-49.
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lucas Hamilton led the charge by scoring 18 points along with five rebounds. Those 18 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Clinton Ezugha, who scored 14 points.
Eldorado's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kamarion Durant, who scored 16 points. Durant scored a full 32.7% of Eldorado's points, the ninth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Robert "RJ" Waddell was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas pushed their record up to 6-4 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.7 points per game. As for Eldorado, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season.
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon at 6:30 p.m. on January 3, 2024. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nevada (Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon is ranked 66th, while Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas is ranked 71st). Eldorado will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Cristo Rey St. Viator at 6:30 p.m. on January 3, 2024. Cristo Rey St. Viator comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
