The Pine Ridge Panthers fought the good fight in their overtime game against the Father Lopez Green Wave on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Green Wave by a score of 73-71. Pine Ridge's defeat continues an unfortunate trend for the squad, making it four in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Pine Ridge lost, one person who can't be blamed is Elijah Laird. Despite the final result, he scored 29 points along with five assists and five rebounds. Laird hasn't dropped below 15points for seven straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Jyles Newman, who scored ten points along with six assists and two blocks.
Even though they lost, Pine Ridge were working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Father Lopez only posted 13 assists.
It was another big night for Jonathan Powell, who scored 38 points for Father Lopez. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Powell has scored all season. Caden Keller was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with six assists.
Pine Ridge bumped their record down to 5-10 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.7 points per game. As for Father Lopez, their victory bumped their record up to 11-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pine Ridge won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Crescent City at 7:30 p.m. on January 17th. As for Father Lopez, they will stay at home for another game and welcome University at 7:30 p.m. on January 18th. University has now lost nine straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 11.
