The Scott's Branch Eagles's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 58-49 loss to Orangeburg-Wilkinson. While losing is never fun, Scott's Branch can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 202nd, while Orangeburg-Wilkinson is ranked 32nd).
Despite the defeat, Scott's Branch had strong showings from Nyren Bowman, who scored six points, and Jordan Kind, who scored four points.
Orangeburg-Wilkinson had a senior duo take command as Maurion Gordon scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and Jamari Williams scored 16 points along with five rebounds and three steals. That's the first time this season that Williams scored 15 or more points. Jordan McGahee was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Scott's Branch has not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season. As for Orangeburg-Wilkinson, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season.
Scott's Branch will head out on the road to face off against East Clarendon at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. East Clarendon has now lost nine straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 1. As for Orangeburg-Wilkinson, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Swansea at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Swansea is hoping to put an end to a six-game streak of away losses.
