It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Melbourne can now relate to. They were just a bucket shy of victory on Tuesday and fell 48-47 to the Westwood Panthers. The Bulldogs were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Panthers earlier this season, when they won 43-25.
Elena Neel
| 02/04/25 vs Westwood | 5 |
| 01/31/25 vs Odyssey Charter School | 3 |
| 01/28/25 @ Bishop Moore | 3 |
| 01/24/25 @ Sebastian River | 3 |
| 01/21/25 vs Calvary Chapel Academy | 3 |
| + 2 more games |
Brianna Matthews and Elena Neel certainly did their best on Tuesday to avoid the loss. Matthews went 5 for 11 en route to 18 points, while Neel went 5 of 11 to rack up 13 points in addition to six rebounds and five steals. Neel has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Seanna Bakke was another key player, putting up seven points along with eight boards and four steals.
Even though they lost, Melbourne smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in ten consecutive matchups.
Westwood's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jazmyne Jones, who posted 11 points in addition to eight rebounds and five steals. Westwood is 3-1 when Jones posts three or more steals, but 8-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jihla Greer, who put up 12 points and four steals.
Melbourne has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-13 record this season. As for Westwood, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-11.
Melbourne does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Westwood, they have already played their next contest, a 50-37 defeat against Heritage on the 6th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
