The Whitinsville Christian Crusaders lost against the Nipmuc Regional Warriors on January 12th, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. Whitinsville Christian fell 56-45 to the Warriors. While losing is never fun, Whitinsville Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Massachusetts basketball rankings (they are ranked 201st, while the Warriors are ranked 81st).
Whitinsville Christian's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zeke Plantinga, who scored 14 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Zach Casey, who scored 13 points.
Nipmuc Regional's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but James McKinney led the charge by dropping a double-double on 23 points and 16 rebounds. McKinney hasn't dropped below 16 points for five straight games. Chase Kelly was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
Whitinsville Christian has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season. As for Nipmuc Regional, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 10-3.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Whitinsville Christian will face off against the Blue Raiders at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopedale has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Nipmuc Regional, they will head out on the road to take on the Spartans at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
